Self powered computing buoy

ABSTRACT

A computing apparatus that is integrated within a flotation module, the system obtaining the energy required to power its computing operations from waves that travel across the surface of a body of water on which the flotation module sets. Additionally, the self-powered computing apparatus employs novel designs to utilize its close proximity to the body of water and/or to strong ocean winds to significantly lower the cost and complexity of cooling their computing circuits.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This continuation is based on U.S. Ser. No. 16/033,522, filed Jul. 12,2018 which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Nos.62/533,058 filed Jul. 16, 2017; 62/622,879 filed Jan. 27, 2018;62/688,685 filed Jun. 22, 2018; and 62/696,740, filed Jul. 11, 2018, thecontents of which are incorporated herein by reference in theirentirety.

BACKGROUND

Large-scale computing currently has at least two significant limitationsand/or drawbacks. The first obstacle is that computers requireelectrical power in order to operate and perform their calculations.Some of the power energizes the CPUs while remaining power energizes therandom-access memory, shared and/or more persistent memory (e.g. harddisks), switches, routers, and other equipment supporting networkconnections between computers. As society's reliance on computers andcomputing increases, the portion of the world's energy budget that isconsumed by computers and computing also increases. By some estimates,computers and computing currently account for approximately 4% of theworld's total electricity budget and is growing at a rapid exponentialpace, especially with respect to computationally intensive tasks such assimulations, artificial intelligence, and mining of cryptocurrenciessuch as Bitcoin.

The second obstacle to large scale computing is that computers generateheat. Most of the electrical power used to energize computers isconverted to, and/or lost as, heat from the circuits and components thatexecute the respective computational tasks. The heat generated bycomputers can raise the temperatures of computers to levels that cancause those computers to fail, especially when the computers are locatedin close proximity to one another. Because of this, computers and theenvironments in which they operate must be cooled. This cooling, e.g.through air conditioners and fans, consumes significant electrical powerover and above the electrical power used to energize the computers.Favorable historical trends in the miniaturization of computercomponents (e.g. “Moore's Law”) are currently slowing, suggesting thatfuture increases in computational power may require greater investmentsin cooling than was common in the past.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Disclosed is a novel type of computing apparatus which is integratedwithin a buoy that obtains the energy required to power its computingoperations from waves that travel across the surface of the body ofwater on which the buoy floats. Additionally, these self-poweredcomputing buoys employ novel designs to utilize their close proximity toa body of water and/or to strong ocean winds to significantly lower thecost and complexity of cooling their computing circuits. Computing tasksof an arbitrary nature are supported, as is the incorporation and/orutilization of computing circuits specialized for the execution ofspecific types of computing tasks, such as the “mining” ofcryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. And, each buoy's receipt of acomputational task, and its return of a computational result, may beaccomplished through the transmission of data across satellite links,fiber optic cables, LAN cables, radio, modulated light, microwaves,and/or any other channel, link, connection, and/or network. Systems andmethods are disclosed for parallelizing computationally intensive tasksacross multiple buoys. Multi-purpose buoys, and methods for employingthe same, are disclosed, wherein the electrical energy produced by abuoy is normally directed to the buoy's computing circuits to carry outcomputationally intensive tasks, but can intermittently be redirected toserve sporadic purposes such as the electrical charging of nearbyocean-going and airborne drones. Also disclosed is a “farm” or arrayconfiguration wherein multiple mutually inter-tethered buoys share powerfor computationally intensive tasks across a common power bus, reducingthe need for the buffering or storage of said power.

The apparatuses and systems disclosed herein locate and/orcompartmentalize computers within a flotation module such as a buoyfloating adjacent to the surface of a body of water. This flotationmodule extracts power from waves moving across and/or through that bodyof water, thereby converting wave energy into electrical energy. Aportion of the extracted electrical power is then used to energize theflotation module's cluster of computers, at least some of the time. Theresulting heat generated by the computers may be actively or passivelytransmitted to the water on which the flotation module floats, or to thesurrounding air normally associated with strong ocean winds.

The current disclosure offers many advantages, including, but notlimited to:

1) Efficient Utilization of Wave Energy

If the electrical power generated by a wave-energy converting buoy is tobe transmitted to land, e.g. where it might be added to an electricalgrid, then that power must have a channel, method, and means with whichto do so. Many developers of wave energy devices anticipate using subseaelectrical power cables to transmit power generated by anchored farms oftheir devices to shore. However, these cables are expensive. Theirdeployment (e.g. their burial in the seafloor) is also expensive. And,the anchoring and/or mooring of a farm of buoys (i.e. wave energydevices) close to shore can be difficult. The current disclosure allowswave energy devices to make good use of the electrical power that theygenerate without transmitting it to land.

While the current disclosure does not preclude the anchoring of thedisclosed devices, it nevertheless allows wave energy devices to makegood use of the electrical power that they generate without beinganchored and/or moored to the seafloor, and without an electrical cableto shore.

2) Efficient Scaling of Computing

By sequestering clusters of computers within independent buoys, thenumber of computers (i.e. the numbers of clusters) can be scaled withrelative ease, e.g. there are no obvious barriers, costs, orconsequences associated with an increase in the number of suchsequestered clusters of computers made available for the processing ofcomputing tasks. The energy efficiency of interconnected sets ofcollocated computers can be discussed in terms of “power usageeffectiveness” or “PUE.”

PUE=(Total Computing Facility Power)/(Total Computing Equipment Power)

Because large terrestrial clusters of computers require the expenditureof energy not just for the computers themselves, but also forrequirements such as: cooling, lighting, environmental considerationsfor staff, etc., their PUEs are typically estimated to be about 1.2. Anideal PUE would be 1.0, which would mean that all electrical powerconsumed, was consumed by the computers executing their respectivecomputing tasks, and, by extension, no electrical power was expended onperipheral tasks.

The present invention utilizes passive conductive cooling of thecomputers in some embodiments, which, because it is passive, consumes noelectrical power. And, because the disclosed embodiments are typicallyautonomous, many embodiments utilize close to 100% of the electricalpower that they generate energizing their respective computers, andproviding them with the energy that they need to complete theirrespective computing tasks. Thus, many embodiments of the discloseddevice will have a PUE approaching 1.0, notwithstanding any losses dueto temporary buffering or storage of power.

Also, because the computers stored and operated within the devices ofthe present disclosure are located on buoys that are floating on a bodyof water (e.g., on the sea far from shore), they provide significantcomputing power without requiring a concomitant dedication of asignificant area of land. This potentially frees land that mightotherwise have been used to house such computing clusters, so that itmight instead be used for farming, homes, parks, etc.

3) Decoupling Large-Scale Computing from Large-Scale Support Costs

Some might regard the history of computing as having taught thatprogress, especially with respect to the scaling of computing, is oftena consequence of an underlying progress in the discovery of new ways todecouple the components, and the constituent tasks, on which large-scalecomputing relies, from the overhead or support requirements needed tosupport large “monolithic” collections of computers.

4) Synergies in Multi-Use Buoys

There are many uses for electrical power far out at sea. Ocean chargingstations for autonomous and/or remotely-operated, ocean-going orairborne, “drones,” especially military drones, can consume largeamounts of power. Surveying of the ocean floor and the detection ofsubmarines can consume large amounts of power. Communications relays(e.g. for submarines) and radar stations can consume large amounts ofpower. Ocean-floor mining operations can consume large amounts of power.

Many of the aforementioned applications, however, consume power onlysporadically, and are therefore unlikely to be economical. It isunlikely to be economical, for instance, to deploy a dedicated waveenergy converter for the charging of drones. However, such a deploymentcan become economical if there is a use to which electrical power can beput during normal operation, between such sporadic uses. The performanceof computationally intensive tasks using computational circuits is oneof the simplest, most low-capital-cost and low-maintenance ways of usingelectrical power.

These and other advantages of the present invention may best beunderstood with reference to the detailed description of the preferredembodiments along with the drawings listed below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an elevated, perspective view of a first embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an elevated perspective view of an alternate embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a front view of the embodiment of FIG. 4

FIG. 8 is an elevated perspective view of an alternate embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of an alternate embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 10 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a plan view of an alternate embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 12 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a side view of an attenuator type wave energy extractionsystem;

FIG. 14 is a semi-transparent side view of the embodiment of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of three buoys of the present inventioninteracting with a satellite;

FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of an arrangement of buoys of the presentinvention;

FIG. 18 is an elevated, perspective view of an arrangement of buoys ofthe present invention;

FIG. 19 is a schematic view of a plurality of buoys interacting with asatellite;

FIG. 20 is a process diagram of the buoys of the present invention;

FIG. 21 is a process diagram of the task administration system of thepresent invention;

FIG. 22 is a process diagram of an alternate embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 23 is a diagram of an alternate embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 24 is flow chart of a process of an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 25 is a continuation of the flow chart of FIG. 24;

FIG. 26 is an elevated perspective view of an alternate embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 27 is a plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 26;

FIG. 28 is a side view, partially cut away, of the embodiment of FIG.26;

FIG. 29 is an elevated, perspective view of an alternate embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 30 is an enlarged, perspective view of an alternate embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 31 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 30; and

FIG. 32 is another side view of the embodiment of FIG. 30.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the disclosure,reference should be made to the preceding detailed description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings. The following figures offerexplanatory illustrations, which, like most, if not all, explanationsand illustrations are potentially useful, but inherently incomplete. Thefollowing figures, and the illustrations offered therein, in no wayconstitute limitations, neither explicit nor implicit, on the scope ofthe present invention.

The device disclosed herein is a wave energy converter that floatsadjacent to an upper surface of a body of water, e.g. the sea, and whichincorporates a large number of computing circuits or “chips” that arepowered, at least in part, by the electrical power generated by thedevice in response to the passage of waves beneath it.

Types of Wave Energy Devices

Some embodiments of the present disclosure conform to thecharacteristics considered typical of “point absorbers,” i.e., waveenergy devices that extract energy from waves, and convert it intoelectrical power, without any significant difference in efficiencyarising due to the particular transversal direction of the waves.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure conform to thecharacteristics considered typical of “attenuators,” i.e., wave energydevices that flex or move when oriented parallel to a wave's directionof motion, wherein the resulting flexing or movement extracts energyfrom the waves, and wherein that energy is converted into electrical.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure conform to thecharacteristics considered typical of “oscillating water columns(OWCs),” i.e., wave energy devices in which the changes in the height ofthe sea surface alternately compress and expand one or more air-filledcavities causing such air to move in and out of the cavities through oneor more turbines, thereby generating electrical power. Some OWCs have arelatively shallow draft and float adjacent to the surface of the water.Other OWCs have a relatively deeper draft.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure conform to thecharacteristics considered typical of “overtopping devices,” i.e., waveenergy devices in which waves impinge upon ramped submerged surfacessuch that they are slowed and tend to grow in height in a fashionsimilar to that exhibited by waves approaching and/or breaking on abeach. The raised waves are directed toward a receptacle into which aportion of their water falls and thereafter passes through hydrokineticturbine, thereby generating electrical power, as it flows back to thesea.

In some embodiments, the self-powered computing buoy is an “inertial”wave energy converter. An inertial wave energy converter works asfollows: In the field of wave energy, a class of “inertial” wave energyconverters uses a two-body design comprising (1) a flotation platformthat floats at the surface of the water and (2) a submerged “inertialmass” that is suspended beneath the flotation platform by at least oneflexible connector. The flotation platform rises and falls on passingwaves, causing the separation distance between it and the inertial massto periodically increase and decrease. The increase in this separationdistance is opposed by at least one power take off unit mounted at orupon the flotation platform.

In some embodiments of such inertial wave energy converters, the atleast one power take off unit includes a pulley wheel, said pulley wheelexperiencing a torque applied by the flexible connector when theseparation distance between the inertial mass and flotation moduleincreases, and the ensuing rotation driving an electrical generator. Inother embodiments, a pulley wheel is not used; instead, the at least onepower take off unit includes a lever arm or other hinged mechanicalapparatus actuated by the flexible connector, again operating anelectrical generator.

In yet other embodiments of such inertial wave energy converters, the atleast one power take off unit includes a hydraulic cylinder or otherfluid power apparatus actuated by the flexible connector. Still othertypes of power take off unit are contained within the class of inertialwave energy converter. As a corollary to the generation of power, the atleast one power take off unit applies a force or torque to resist theperiodic “pulling away” (relative downward motion) of the at least oneflexible connector. This entails that an upward lifting force isperiodically imparted to the inertial mass through the flexibleconnector, causing the inertial mass to periodically rise upward in thewater column, before descending under gravity when the lifting forceabates.

The described forces cause the inertial mass to rise and fall in anoscillating fashion, somewhat out of phase with the wave-inducedvertical oscillations of the flotation platform. The inertial masspreferably comprises a large submerged vessel, container, or enclosure,such as a hollow, mostly sealed sphere. The inertial mass preferablyencloses, entrains, or constrains a large volume of seawater. Theinertial mass preferably has relatively low drag when moved in thevertical direction and preferably has very large mass and inertia. Aspherical or elliptical inertial mass is suitable because it encloses avery large volume of water relative to its surface area and has arelatively low-drag hydrodynamic profile. The inertial mass ispreferably enclosed by a net or other similar means of coupling it tothe flexible connector.

It is to be understood that the disclosure applies to any type of waveenergy converter, not only point absorbers and attenuators.

Types of Deployments

Some embodiments of the present disclosure float freely, or “drift,”adjacent to a surface of water in a passive manner which results intheir movement in response to wind, waves, currents, tides, etc. Someembodiments are anchored or moored so as to retain an approximatelyconstant position relative to a position on the underlying seafloor.And, some embodiments are self-propelled, and/or capable of exploitingnatural movements of air and/or water to move in a chosen direction, atleast approximately.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure are self-propelled or capableof exploiting natural movements of air or water so as to change theirpositions in at least a somewhat controlled manner. Self-propelledembodiments may achieve their directed motions by means including, butnot limited to, rigid sails, ducted electrically-powered fans, air orwater propellers, sea anchors, Flettner rotors, and drogue anchors.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure are deployed so as to befree-floating and so as to drift with the ambient winds, currents,and/or other environmental influences that will affect and/or alter itsgeolocation. Some embodiments of the present disclosure are deployedsuch that individual devices are anchored and/or moored (e.g. to theseafloor) so as to remain approximately stationary.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure which are anchored or mooredare so anchored or moored proximate to other such devices, and may evenbe moored to one another. These embodiments may be deployed in “farms”and their computers may be directly or indirectly interconnected suchthat they may interact, e.g., when cooperating to complete variouscomputing tasks. The devices deployed in farms may communicate withcomputers and/or networks on land by means of one or more subsea datatransmission cables, including, but not limited to: fiber optic cables,LAN cables, Ethernet cables, and/or other electrical cables. The devicesdeployed in farms may communicate with computers and/or networks on landby means of one or more indirect devices, methods, and/or means,including, but not limited to: Wi-Fi, radio, microwave, pulsed and/ormodulated laser light, pulsed and/or modulated LED-generated light,and/or satellite-enabled communication.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure which drift and/or areself-propelled, may directly and/or indirectly interconnect theircomputers so they may interact, e.g. when cooperating to completevarious computing tasks. For example, drifting devices may act asclusters within a larger virtual cluster so as to cooperatively completecomputing tasks that are larger than individual devices could completeindividually. And, for example, self-propelled devices may travel theseas together in relatively close proximity to one another, though notdirectly connected.

Drifting, and/or self-propelled, devices may communicate with computersand/or networks on land, and/or with each other, by means of one or moreindirect devices, methods, and/or means, including, but not limited to:Wi-Fi, radio, microwave, pulsed and/or modulated laser light, pulsedand/or modulated LED-generated light, and/or satellite-enabledcommunication.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure are deployed so as to be“virtually” interconnected to one or more other devices (e.g., by Wi-Fi,radio, microwave, modulated light, satellite links, etc.), and togetherto drift with the ambient winds, currents, and/or other environmentalinfluences that will affect and/or alter its geolocation. Someembodiments of the present disclosure are deployed so as to be“virtually” interconnected to one or more other devices (e.g. by Wi-Fi,radio, microwave, modulated light, satellite links, etc.), and, becausethey are “self-propelled” and/or able to actively influence theirgeolocation, and/or changes in same, through their manipulation ofambient winds, currents, and/or other environmental influences.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure are deployed so as to betethered, and to be directly inter-connected, to one or more otherdevices, wherein one or more of the tethered devices are anchored and/ormoored (e.g. to the seafloor) so as to remain approximately stationary,thereby limiting the range of motion and/or position of the entiretethered assembly.

Some embodiments, when directly and/or indirectly inter-connected withone or more other devices, whether drifting or anchored, will link theircomputers and/or computing networks, e.g. by means of satellite-mediatedinter-device communications of data, so as to act, behave, cooperate,and/or compute, as subsets of a larger, integrated, and/orinter-connected set of computers. Such inter-connected and/orcooperating devices may utilize, and/or assign to, a single device (orsubset of the inter-connected group of devices) to be responsible for aspecific portion, part, and/or subset, of the system-level calculations,estimates, scheduling, data transmissions, etc., on which the group ofdevices depends.

Types of Propulsion

Some embodiments of the present disclosure propel themselves, at leastin part, through their incorporation, use, and/or operation, of devices,technologies, modules, and/or propulsion systems, that include, but arenot limited to: rigid sails, ducted fans, electrical-motor-drivenpropellers, sea anchors, drogues, water jets, the drag forces impartedto an embodiment's one or more wind turbines, submerged, tetheredairplane-like kite and/or drone, and/or inflatable water-filled (oremptied) sack.

Types of CPUs/Computing Devices

Some embodiments of the present disclosure incorporate, utilize,energize, and/or operate, computers incorporating CPUs, CPU-cores,inter-connected logic gates, ASICs, ASICs dedicated to the mining ofcryptocurrencies, RAM, flash drives, SSDs, hard disks, GPUs, quantumchips, optoelectronic circuits, analog computing circuits, encryptioncircuits, and/or decryption circuits.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure incorporate, utilize,energize, and/or operate, computers specialized and/or optimized withrespect to the computation, and/or types of computation, characteristicof, but not limited to: machine learning, neural networks,cryptocurrency mining, graphics processing, graphics rendering, imageobject recognition and/or classification, image rendering, quantumcomputing, quantum computing simulation, physics simulation, financialanalysis and/or prediction, and/or artificial intelligence.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure incorporate, utilize,energize, and/or operate, computers that may at least approximatelyconform to the characteristics typically ascribed to, but not limitedto: “blade servers,” “rack-mounted computers and/or servers,” and/orsupercomputers.

Types of Computational Circuits

Some embodiments of the present disclosure incorporate, utilize,energize, and/or operate, at least 100 computing circuits and/or CPUs.Some incorporate, utilize, energize, and/or operate, at least 1,000computing circuits and/or CPUs. Some incorporate, utilize, energize,and/or operate, at least 2,000 computing circuits and/or CPUs. Someincorporate, utilize, energize, and/or operate, at least 5,000 computingcircuits and/or CPUs. Some incorporate, utilize, energize, and/oroperate, at least 10,000 computing circuits and/or CPUs.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure utilize computing chipsand/or circuits that contain two or more CPUs and/or computing “cores”per chip and/or per circuit. Some embodiments of the present disclosureutilize computing chips and/or circuits that contain a graphicsprocessing unit (GPU) within the chips and/or within a computingcircuit. Some embodiments of the present disclosure utilize computingchips and/or circuits that contain a graphics processing unit (GPU)within the chips and/or within a computing circuit.

Types of Computing Tasks

Some embodiments of the present disclosure incorporate, utilize,energize, and/or operate, computers organized, interconnected,controlled, and/or configured, so as to optimize the loading, execution,and reporting of results, related to arbitrary computational tasks.

These types of arbitrary computational tasks might be typical ofservices that execute programs for others, and/or provide computationalresources with which others may execute their own programs, often inexchange for a fee based on attributes of the tasks and/or resourcesused, that might include, but would not be limited to: size (e.g. inbytes) of program and/or data executed, size (e.g. in bytes) of datacreated during program execution and/or returned to the owner of theprogram, number of computing cycles (number of computational operations)consumed during program execution, amounts of RAM, and/or hard diskspace, utilized during program execution, other computing resources,such as GPUs, required for program execution, and the amount ofelectrical power consumed during and/or by a program's execution.

Embodiments optimized to perform arbitrary computational tasks mightutilize “disk-free computing devices” in conjunction with “storage areanetworks” so as to utilize memory and/or data storage components and/ordevices more efficiently.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure incorporate, utilize,energize, and/or operate, computers organized, interconnected,controlled, and/or configured, so as to optimize the loading, execution,and reporting of results, related to “cryptocurrency (e.g. Bitcoin)mining,” i.e. to the calculation of cryptocurrency ledgers, and theidentification of suitable ledger-specific “nonce” values (e.g. thesearch for a “golden nonce”), and/or related to the loading, execution,and reporting of results, related to other “proof of work” programs. Thecomputers, and/or computing resources, of some embodiments are optimizedto perform hash functions or other computationally intensive processesso as to calculate “proofs of work” for blockchain-related algorithms.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure incorporate, utilize,energize, and/or operate, computers organized, interconnected,controlled, and/or configured, so as to optimize the loading, execution,and reporting of results, related to neural networks and/or artificiallyintelligent programs. Some embodiments will facilitate the cooperateexecution of programs related to neural networks and/or artificiallyintelligent programs through the direct, physical, and/or virtual,interconnection of their internal networks and/or computing devices.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure incorporate, utilize,energize, and/or operate, computers organized, interconnected,controlled, and/or configured, so as to optimize the loading, execution,and reporting of results, related to the serving of web pages and/orsearch results.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure incorporate, utilize,energize, and/or operate, computers organized, interconnected,controlled, and/or configured, so as to optimize the loading, execution,and reporting of results, related to the solving of “n-body problems,”the simulation of brains, gene matching, and solving “radarcross-section problems.”

Some embodiments of the present disclosure incorporate, utilize,energize, and/or operate, computers organized, interconnected,controlled, and/or configured, so as to optimize the loading, execution,and reporting of results, consistent with the functionality provided by“terminal servers.”

Types of Computing Task Management

An embodiment of the present disclosure receives a task from a remotesource and/or server. An embodiment receives a task from a radio and/orelectromagnetic transmission broadcast by a satellite (e.g. which aplurality of other devices also receive and/or are able to receive). Anembodiment receives a task across and/or via a transmission across afiber-optic cable. An embodiment receives a task across and/or via atransmission across a LAN and/or Ethernet cable.

An embodiment adds the task to a task queue of pending tasks if: itpossesses, incorporates, and/or operates, all of the hardware requiredto complete and/or execute the task efficiently; there is sufficientroom in its task queue; there is a sufficient likelihood that it will beable to complete the task no later than any deadline associated with thetask; and, the estimated duration of the task's execution is no morethan the likely operational time available to the device (e.g. givencurrent energy reserves, current power generation levels, etc.). When anembodiment begins execution of a task, it marks the task as“in-progress” and sets a “timeout” value, after which the task will berestarted if not yet complete.

In an embodiment, when the embodiment determines that the level of itspower generation has decreased, and the continued and/or continuousoperation of its currently “active” computing devices and/or circuitscan no longer be sustained, then it stops execution of a sufficientnumber of its most-recently started computational tasks, and powers downthe corresponding computing devices and/or circuits, so that, forinstance, there will remain sufficient power to complete the computationof the remaining tasks using the still-active computing devices and/orcircuits.

An embodiment transmits the results of a completed task to a remotesource and/or server (e.g. the remote source and/or server from whichthe task originated). After receipt and/or validation of thecompleted-task results, the remote source and/or server broadcasts toall of the devices which (would have been expected to have) received thenow-completed task, a message and/or signal to indicate that the taskhas been completed. Each of the devices receiving the “task-completed”message and/or signal then removes that task from its task queue, andterminates execution of the task if the execution of the task is inprogress.

An embodiment facilitates the receipt of the same task by a plurality ofdevices, each of which may elect to place the task in its respectivetask queue, and/or to execute the task when sufficient computingresources and/or energy are available.

In addition to the results of a task, an embodiment also returns to aremote source and/or server, information that is sufficient to allow thebenefactor of the task's execution to be charged and/or billed an amountof money consistent with a payment contract. Such “billing-relevantinformation” might include, but is not limited to, the following: size(e.g. in bytes) of the program executed; size (e.g. in bytes) of theresults generated; amount (e.g. in bytes) of RAM required to completethe program's execution; number of instruction cycles required tocomplete the program's execution; number of CPUs required to completethe program's execution; number and/or cycles required of GPUs tocomplete the program's execution; amount of energy (e.g. kWh) expendedto complete the execution of the program; degree of requested taskpriority that influenced priority of task execution; degree and/orpercentage of available computing resources busy with other tasks attime of task execution (e.g. level of demand at time of task execution);amount of task-results data (e.g. in bytes) returned to the remotesource and/or server; cost for satellite bandwidth consumed (e.g. bytes)and/or required in order to transmit task and associated data to device;and/or cost for satellite bandwidth consumed (e.g. bytes) and/orrequired in order to transmit task results to remote source and/orserver.

An embodiment of the present disclosure sends task-execution-specificdata, messages, and/or signals, to a remote source and/or server whichindicate, among other things: which tasks are waiting in a task queue;which tasks are being executed; estimated time remaining to completeexecution of tasks being executed; an estimate of the amount of energyrequired to complete tasks being executed; an estimate of the rate ofelectrical power generation; an estimate of the amount of shared memoryrequired to complete tasks being executed; and an estimate of the amountof shared memory currently available.

A global task controlling and/or coordinating computer and/or server mayuse such task-execution-specific data in order to forecast which tasksare likely to be successfully completed by a future time. And, if thelikelihood of a particular task's completion by a future time issufficiently great then other devices notified at an earlier time of thetask, and potentially storing the task in their respective task queues,may be notified of that task's likely completion by a device. Thoseother devices may then elect to reduce the priority of the task, or toremove it from their task queues.

Types of Computing-Task Processing

Some embodiments of the present disclosure execute encrypted programsand/or data for which a decryption key, algorithm, and/or parameter, isnot available, nor accessible, to other tasks, programs, and/orcomputing circuits and/or devices, on the respective embodiments. Someembodiments of the present disclosure execute encrypted programs and/ordata for which a decryption key, algorithm, and/or parameter, is notavailable, nor accessible, to an embodiment device, nor to the remotesource(s) and/or server(s) which transmitted the encrypted programand/or data to the device.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure simultaneously execute two ormore encrypted programs that are encrypted with different encryptionkeys, algorithms, and/or parameters, and must be decrypted withdifferent decryption keys, algorithms, and/or parameters. Someembodiments of the present disclosure utilize a plurality of CPUs and/orcomputing circuits to independently, and/or in parallel, execute (copiesof) the same program, operating on (copies of) the same data set,wherein each execution will nominally and/or typically produce identicaltask results.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure comprise multiple buoys eachcontaining a plurality of CPUs and/or computing circuits, wherein aplurality of CPUs and/or computing circuits on a first buoy, and aplurality of CPUs and/or computing circuits on a second buoy, allsimultaneously: execute in parallel (copies of) the same program;operate on (copies of) the same data set; search for a “golden nonce”value for the same cryptocurrency block and/or blockchain block; performin parallel the same computational task; or perform in parallel adivide-and-conquer algorithm pertaining to the same computational task.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure utilize a plurality of CPUsand/or computing circuits to execute the same program, operating on thesame data set, in a parallelized fashion wherein each individual CPUand/or computing circuit will execute the program with respect to aportion of the full data set, thereby contributing piecemeal to thecomplete execution of the task.

Types of Data Transmission

Some embodiments of the present disclosure communicate data to and froma remote and/or terrestrial digital data network and/or internet, and/orexchange data with other computers and/or networks remote from theembodiment, and/or not physically attached to, nor incorporated within,the embodiment, by means of “indirect network communication links” whichinclude, but are not limited to: satellite, Wi-Fi, radio, microwave,modulated light (e.g. laser, LED), “quantum-data-sharing network” (e.g.,in which quantum entangled atoms, photons, atomic particles, quantumparticles, etc., are systematically altered so as to transmit data fromone point [e.g., the location of one particle] to another point [e.g.,the location of another particle]), as well as: fiber-optic cable(s),LAN cable(s), Ethernet cable(s), and/or other electrical and/or opticalcables.

Some free-floating embodiments of the present disclosure, as well assome anchored and/or moored embodiments that are not directly connectedto land by means of a cable, utilize one or more indirect networkcommunication links, including, but not limited to: satellite, Wi-Fi,radio, microwave, modulated light (e.g. laser, LED).

Some embodiments of the present disclosure which communicate with otherand/or terrestrial data transmission and/or exchange networks transmitdata to a remote receiver by means of modulated light (e.g. laser orLED) which is limited to one or more specific wavelengths and/or rangesof wavelengths. The sensitivity of the remote receiver is then improvedthrough the receiver's use of complementary filter(s) to excludewavelengths of light outside the one or more specific wavelengths and/orranges of wavelengths used by the transmitting embodiment. A remotereceiver might utilize multiple such wavelength-specific filters, e.g.utilize one at a time, so as to limit and/or discriminate its receipt ofdata to that transmitted from one or more specific devices at a timeand/or from among many such devices, each of which, and/or each subsetof which, utilizes a specific wavelength(s) and/or range(s) ofwavelengths.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure which communicate with otherand/or terrestrial data transmission and/or exchange networks transmitdata to a remote receiver by means of modulated light (e.g. laser orLED) receive data from a remote transmitter by means of modulated light(e.g. laser or LED) which is limited to one or more specific wavelengthsand/or ranges of wavelengths. The sensitivity of the embodiment'sreceiver is then improved through the receiver's use of complementaryfilter(s) to exclude wavelengths of light outside the one or morespecific wavelengths and/or ranges of wavelengths used by thetransmitting remote transmitter.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure exchange data withneighboring and/or proximate other and/or complementary devices throughthe use of one wavelength, one range of wavelengths, and/or one set ofwavelengths. And some of these embodiments exchange data withterrestrial and/or remote network nodes linked to remote network(s)and/or remote computer(s) through the use of another and/or differentwavelength, another and/or different range of wavelengths, and/oranother and/or different set of wavelengths.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure exchange data withneighboring and/or proximate other and/or complementary devices throughthe use of one or more types and/or channels of data communicationand/or transmission, e.g. Wi-Fi, modulated light, radio, and/ormicrowave, while exchanging data with remote computer(s) and/ornetwork(s) (e.g. the internet) through the use of one or more otherand/or different types and/or channels of data communication and/ortransmission, e.g. satellite.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure exchange data withneighboring and/or proximate other and/or complementary devices, and/orremote and/or terrestrial computers and/or networks, through data passedto, from, through, and/or between, aerial drones, surface water drones,underwater drones, balloon-suspended transmitter/receiver modules,devices, or systems, manned airplanes, boats, and/or submarines.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure exchange data withneighboring and/or proximate other and/or complementary devices, and/orremote and/or terrestrial computers and/or networks, through data passedto, from, through, and/or between, underwater transmitter/receivermodules, devices, or systems drifting on, and/or in, the body of water,and/or modules, devices, or systems resting on, and/or attached to, theseafloor, by means including, but not limited to, the generation,detection, encoding, and/or decoding, of acoustic signals, sounds,and/or data.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure receive “global”transmissions of data from a remote and/or terrestrial computer and/ornetwork via a single channel, frequency, wavelength, and/or amplitudemodulation, broadcast by a satellite, radio, microwave, modulated light,and/or other means of electro-magnetic data transmission, e.g. saidtransmission is received and processed by multiple discrete devicessimultaneously. Some of these embodiments transmit device-specific,and/or device-group-specific (e.g. two or more “cooperating” devices,two or more devices whose device-specific computer(s) and/or computernetwork(s) are linked, e.g. by Wi-Fi), on other and/or differentchannels, frequencies, wavelengths, and/or amplitude modulations, to acompatible and/or complementary receiver on a satellite, and/or otherreceiver of radio, microwave, modulated light, and/or other means ofelectro-magnetic data transmissions.

In some deployments of some embodiments of the present disclosure, asatellite will broadcast to a plurality of the deployed devices, on achannel and/or frequency shared by many, if not all, of the devices in adeployment, information including, but not limited to: data, tasks,requests for information (e.g. status of tasks, geolocation of a deviceor group of devices, amount(s) of energy available for computationaltasks and/or for locomotion, amount of electrical power being generatedin response to the current wave conditions of a device and/or group ofdevices, status of computational hardware and/or networks, e.g. how manydevices are fully functional and/or how many are non-functional, statusof power-generating hardware and/or associated electrical and/or powercircuits, e.g. how many power take-off assemblies and/or generators arefully functional and/or how many are non-functional, how many energystorage components (e.g. batteries) are fully functional and/or how manyare non-functional, etc.).

In some deployments of some embodiments of the present disclosure, asatellite will broadcast to a specific deployed device, and/or subset orgroup of deployed devices, on a channel and/or frequency specific to thedevice, and/or subset or group of deployed devices, informationincluding, but not limited to: device- or group-specific data (e.g.which range of Bitcoin nonce values to evaluate), device- orgroup-specific tasks (such as which types of observation to prioritize,e.g. submarines), requests for information (e.g. wave conditions atlocation of device), etc.

In some deployments of some embodiments of the present disclosure, eachdevice, or subset of devices, will broadcast to a satellite on a channeland/or frequency specific to the device, or subset of devices, (i.e. andnot shared by other devices in a deployment) information including, butnot limited to: data, task results (e.g. Bitcoin ledgers andcorresponding nonce values), requests for information (e.g. new tasks,weather and/or wave forecasts for a given geolocation, results ofself-diagnostics on hardware, software, memory integrity, etc., statusof computational hardware and/or networks, e.g. how many devices arefully functional and/or how many are non-functional, status ofpower-generating hardware and/or associated electrical and/or powercircuits, e.g. how many power take-off assemblies and/or generators arefully functional and/or how many are non-functional, how many energystorage components (e.g. batteries) are fully functional and/or how manyare non-functional, observations (e.g. visual, audio, radar) ofaircraft, observations of other floating vessels, observations ofsubmarines, observations of marine life, observations of weather and/orwave conditions, environmental sensor readings, etc.).

Types of Antennas

Some embodiments of the present disclosure use one or more antennas,and/or one or more arrays of antennas, to facilitate communication,coordination, and/or the transfer of data, with a land-based receiver,one or more other embodiments and/or instances of the same embodiment,airborne drones, surface water drones, submerged drones, satellites,and/or other receivers and/or transmitters utilizing one or moreantennas.

There are embodiments of the present disclosure that utilize types ofantennas including, but not limited to, the following: parasiticantennas including, but not limited to: Yagi-Uda antennas, Quadantennas, wire antennas, loop antennas, dipole antennas, half-wavedipole antennas, odd multiple half-wave dipole antennas, short dipoleantennas, monopole antennas, electrically small loop antennas,electrically large loop antennas, log periodic antennas, bow-tieantennas, travelling wave antennas including, but not limited to:helical antennas, Yagi-Uda antennas, microwave antennas including, butnot limited to: rectangular micro-strip antennas, planar inverted-Fantennas, reflector antennas including, but not limited to: cornerreflector antennas, parabolic reflector antennas, multi-band antennas,and separate transmission and receiving antennas. There are embodimentsof the present disclosure that utilize types of antenna arraysincluding, but not limited to, the following: driven arrays including,but not limited to: arrays of helical antennas, broadside arraysincluding, but not limited to: collinear arrays, planar arraysincluding, but not limited to: those composed of unidirectionalantennas, reflective arrays including, but not limited to: half-wavedipole antennas in front of a reflecting screen, curtain arrays,microstrip antennas (e.g., comprised of arrays of patch antennas),phased arrays including, but not limited to: those with analog and/ordigital beamforming, those with crossed dipoles, passive electronicallyscanned arrays, active electronically scanned arrays, low-profile and/orconformal arrays, smart antennas, reconfigurable antennas, and/oradaptive arrays, in which: a receiving array that estimates thedirection of arrival of the radio waves and electronically optimizes theradiation pattern adaptively to receive it, synthesizing a main lobe inthat direction, endfire arrays including, but not limited to: logperiodic dipole arrays, parasitic arrays including, but not limited to:endfire arrays consisting of multiple antenna elements in a line ofwhich only one is a driven element (i.e., connected to a transmitter orreceiver), log periodic dipole arrays, Yagi-Uda antennas, and Quadantennas.

Embodiments of the present disclosure incorporate on an upper deck orupper surface (especially, across over 50% of an upper deck or uppersurface) a phased array of antennas utilizing digital beamforming, andalso optionally utilizing gyroscopes and/or accelerometers to trackchanges in the orientation of the embodiment's buoy in order to reducethe latency between such changes and corresponding corrections to thegain and/or directionality of the phased array's beam, e.g., to preservean optimal beam orientation with respect to a satellite.

Another embodiment of the present disclosure incorporates on an upperdeck of its buoy a phased array transmitting and receivingelectromagnetic radiation of at least two frequencies, wherein thebeamwidth of a first frequency is significantly greater, than thebeamwidth of a second frequency. Such an embodiment uses the beam of thefirst frequency to localize and track a target receiver and/ortransmitter, e.g., a satellite, adjusts the angular orientation and/orbeamwidth of the beam of the second frequency so as to optimize the thatsecond beam's gain with respect to the target receiver and/ortransmitter.

Another embodiment of the present disclosure incorporates dipolesattached to the periphery of the buoy and oriented radially about theperiphery of the embodiment's deck (with respect to a verticallongitudinal axis of the embodiment and/or its buoy). The dipolesbenefit from the proximate ground plane created by the sea and itssurface, wherein the sea and/or its surface reflect upward any beam lobethat might have otherwise been directed downward, thus increasing thegain of the upward beam.

Types of Inter-Device Data Sharing

Some embodiments of the present disclosure facilitate communication,coordination, and/or the transfer of data, between two or more of theirrespective computing devices and/or circuits by means of a commondistributed network, e.g. Ethernet, TCP/IP.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure facilitate communication,coordination, and/or the transfer of data, between the computers,circuits, and/or internal and/or physical networks on, and/orincorporated within, two or more devices by means of virtual and/orelectromagnetic network connections and/or links, e.g. WAN, Wi-Fi,satellite-mediated, radio, microwave, and/or modulated light. Thedevices of such embodiments share data, programs, and/or otherwisecooperate, without the benefit of a physical network connection.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure transmit, receive, transfer,share, and/or exchange, data by means of acoustic and/or electricalsignals transmitted through the seawater on which they float. Byinducing localized sounds, acoustic signals, electrical currents, and/orelectrical charges, within the seawater that surrounds it, an embodimentcan create acoustic and/or electrical signals in the seawater thattravel through the seawater, and/or radiate away from the device withinthe seawater, and can be detected and/or received by one or more othersimilar devices. In this way, a two-way exchange of data, as well asbroadcasts of data from one device to many others, can be completed,executed, and/or realized.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure may facilitate the sharing,and/or exchange, of data between widely separated devices, e.g. deviceswhich are so distant from one another that line-of-sight communicationoptions, e.g. modulated light, are not available, by daisy-chaininginter-device communications, signals, transmissions, and/or datatransfers. Data may be exchanged between two widely separated devicesthrough the receipt and re-transmission of that data by devices locatedat intermediate positions.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure transmit, receive, transfer,share, and/or exchange, data by means of light and/or “flashes” shinedon, and/or reflected or refracted by, atmospheric features, elements,particulates, droplets, etc. An embodiment will encode data (andpreferably first encrypt the data to be transmitted) into a series ofmodulated light pulses and/or flashes that are projected into theatmosphere in at least an approximate direction toward another suchdevice. The receiving device, e.g. through the use ofwavelength-specific filters, and/or temporally-specific frequencyfilters, will then detect at least a portion of the transmitted lightpulses and decode the encoded data. The return of data by the receivingdevice is accomplished in a similar manner.

Such a “reflected and/or refracted and light-modulated” data stream canbe made specific to at least a particular wavelength, range ofwavelengths, pulse frequency, and/or range of pulse frequencies. By sucha data communication scheme and/or process, an individual device can beconfigured to transmit data to one or more individual other devices(e.g. on separate wavelength-specific channels), and/or to a pluralityof other devices. It can be configured to receive data from one or moreindividual other devices (e.g. on separate wavelength-specificchannels), and/or to a plurality of other devices.

Types of Data Transmission Networks

Some embodiments of the present disclosure interconnect at least some oftheir computing devices with, and/or within, a network in which each ofa plurality of the computing devices are assigned, and/or associatedwith, a unique internet, and/or “IP” address. Some embodiments of thepresent disclosure interconnect at least some of their computing deviceswith, and/or within, a network in which a plurality of the computingdevices are assigned, and/or associated with, a unique local subnet IPaddress.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure interconnect at least some oftheir computing devices with, and/or within, a network thatincorporates, includes, and/or utilizes, a router. Some embodiments ofthe present disclosure interconnect at least some of their computingdevices with, and/or within, a network that incorporates, includes,and/or utilizes, a modem. Some embodiments of the present disclosureinterconnect at least some of their computing devices with, and/orwithin, a network that incorporates, includes, and/or utilizes, a“storage area network.”

Types of Cooling

Some embodiments of the present disclosure passively cool theircomputing devices by facilitating the convective transmission of heatfrom the computing devices and/or their environment to the water onwhich the device floats, e.g. through a thermally conductive wall,and/or fins or heat baffles, separating the devices from the water. Someembodiments of the present disclosure passively cool their computingdevices by facilitating the convective transmission of heat from thecomputing devices and/or their environment to the air above the water onwhich the device floats, e.g. through a thermally conductive wall,and/or fins or heat baffles, separating the devices from the air. Someembodiments of the present disclosure actively cool their computingdevices by means of a heat exchanger that absorbs heat from thecomputing devices and/or their environment, and carries it to a heatexchanger in thermal contact with the water on which the device floatsand/or the air above that water. Such thermal contact may be the resultof direct exposure of the exchanger with the air and/or water, or it maybe the result of indirect exposure of the exchanger with the air and/orwater by means of the exchanger's direct contact with a wall or othersurface in direct or indirect contact with the air and/or water.

Much, if not all, of the energy imparted to computational devices withinan embodiment of the present disclosure will become heat. And, excessivelevels of heat might damage or impair those computational devices.Therefore, it is prudent for an embodiment to remove heat from its“active” computational devices as quickly and/or efficiently aspossible, and/or quickly enough to avoid excessive heating of thecomputational devices.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure facilitate the passiveconvective cooling of at least some of their computational devices,and/or of the ambient environments of those computation devices. Someembodiments of the present disclosure actively remove heat from theircomputational devices, and/or from the ambient environments of thosecomputational devices. Some embodiments of the present disclosurepassively cool their computing devices, and/or of the ambientenvironments of their computing devices, by providing a thermallyconductive connection between the computing devices and the water onwhich the embodiment floats. Some embodiments promote this conduction ofheat from the computing devices to the ambient water by using “fins”and/or other means of increasing and/or maximizing the surface area ofthe conductive surface in contact with the water. Some embodimentspromote this conduction of heat from the computing devices to theambient water by using “fins” and/or other means of increasing and/ormaximizing the surface area of the conductive surface in contact withthe computing devices and/or the ambient environments of their computingdevices. Some embodiments promote this conduction of heat from thecomputing devices to the ambient water by using copper and/orcopper/nickel heatsink poles and/or plates extending into the waterand/or into the chamber(s) in which at least a portion of theembodiment's computing devices are located.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure passively cool theircomputing devices, and/or of the ambient environments of their computingdevices, by providing a thermally conductive connection between thecomputing devices and the air that surrounds the embodiment. Someembodiments promote this conduction of heat from the computing devicesto the ambient air by using “fins” and/or other means of increasingand/or maximizing the surface area of the conductive surface in contactwith the water. Some embodiments promote this conduction of heat fromthe computing devices to the ambient air by using “fins” and/or othermeans of increasing and/or maximizing the surface area of the conductivesurface in contact with the computing devices and/or the ambientenvironments of their computing devices.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure are positioned within sealedchambers containing air, nitrogen, and/or another gas or gases. Someembodiments of the present disclosure are positioned within chambersinto which air, nitrogen, and/or another gas or gases, are pumped.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure promote the conduction ofheat from their computing devices to the ambient air and/or water byimmersing, surrounding, bathing, and/or spraying, the computing deviceswith and/or in a thermally conductive fluid and/or gas. The thermallyconductive fluid and/or gas is ideally not electrically conductive, asthis might tend to short-circuit, damage, and/or destroy, the computingdevices. The thermally conductive fluid and/or gas ideally has a highheat capacity that allows it to absorb substantial heat withoutexperiencing a substantial increase in its own temperature. Thethermally conductive fluid and/or gas carries at least a portion of theheat generated and/or produced by at least some of the computing devicesto one or more other thermally conductive interfaces and/or conduitsthrough which at least a portion of the heat may pass from the fluidand/or gas to the ambient air or water proximate to the embodiment. Insome embodiments, the thermally conductive fluid and/or gas has aboiling point such that the fluid bathes computing circuits in itsliquid phase, and it boils into a gas due to the heat transferred fromsaid circuits, carrying said heat away from the circuits, and thencondenses on a heat exchange surface that communicates said heat to theexternal water or air.

Because a computing device operating in an air environment (e.g. insidea compartment or module on and/or within an embodiment of the presentdisclosure) may not transmit heat with sufficient efficiency to preventand/or preclude an overheating of the computing device, the use, by someembodiments, of a thermally conductive fluid and/or gas to facilitatethe passage of heat from the various components (e.g. the CPUs) withinthe computing devices to the ambient air or water proximate to theembodiment may reduce the risk of overheating, damaging, and/ordestroying some, if not all, of the computing devices therein.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide improved “buffering”of the heat that they absorb from their respective computing devices,while that heat is being transmitted to the surrounding air and/or waterthrough their use of, and/or surrounding of at least some of theirrespective computing devices with, a fluid that boils from a fluid intoa gas within the operational temperature range between that of theexternal water/air and that of the high-temperature surfaces of thecomputing circuits around which the fluid is disposed.

An embodiment of the present disclosure may cool its computing systems,and/or other heat-generating components and/or systems, by means,systems, modules, components, and/or devices, the include, but are notlimited to, the following: closed-circuit heat exchangers that transferheat from the source to a heat sink (e.g., the air or water around anembodiment), wherein at least one end of the closed-circuit heatexchanger is: in contact with an interior water-facing wall, in contactwith an interior air-facing wall, incorporates ribs to increase thesurface area, in contact with water and/or in contact with air,positioned inside a duct, tube, and/or channel, of an OWC, in contactwith a duct, tube, and/or channel, of an OWC, mounting of computingmodules: in air and/or in water, against interior walls facing airand/or water, wherein the mounting chamber or location incorporatesribs, within spires projecting up from deck, within spires projectingdown into water.

A significant advantage of embodiments of the present disclosure is thata large number of computing devices can be deployed in such a way (i.e.within a large number of embodiments) that relatively the large numberof computing devices is partitioned into relatively small groups, which,in addition to being powered, at least in part, by the energy availablein the environment proximate to each embodiment, and the relativelysmall number of computing devices therein, are also immediatelyadjacent, and/or proximate, to a heat sink characterized by a relativelycool temperature and a relatively large heat capacity, i.e. the sea, andthe wind that flows above it. By deploying relatively small numbers ofcomputing devices in self-powered and passively cooled autonomous units,environmental energy is used with maximal efficiency (e.g. withoutsuffering the losses and costs associated with transmitting the power toshore), and requisite cooling is accomplished with minimal, if any,expenditure of energy.

By contrast, the concentration of larger numbers of computing devices,e.g. the number of computing devices that might be associated withhundreds or thousands of embodiments of the present disclosure, requiresthat power be generated elsewhere and transmitted to the concentratedcollection(s) of computing devices, thereby increasing costs andincidental losses of energy, and that heat be actively and energeticallyremoved from the “mass(es)” of computing devices, concentrated in arelatively small space, and/or volume, by means requiring significantexpenditure of capital and additional energy.

Energy Management

Some embodiments of the present disclosure activate and deactivatesubsets of their computers, thereby changing and/or adjusting the numberand/or percentage of their computers that are active at any given time,in response to changes in wave conditions, and/or changes in the amountof electrical power generated by the power takeoffs of their respectivedevices, so as to match the amount of power being consumed by thecomputers to the amount being generated.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure incorporate, and/or utilizecomponents and/or mechanism, including, but not limited to: batteries,capacitors, springs, components, features, circuits, devices, processes,and/or chemical fuel (e.g. hydrogen) generators and storage mechanisms.These energy storage mechanisms permit the embodiments to store, atleast for a short time (e.g. 10-60 seconds), at least a portion of theelectrical and/or mechanical energy generated by the embodiment inresponse to wave motion. Such energy storage may have the beneficialeffect of integrating and/or smoothing the generated electrical power.

Some embodiments, when tethered to other devices, may further stabilizetheir own energy supplies, as well as helping to stabilize the energysupplies of other tethered devices, by sharing electrical energy,batteries, capacitors, and/or other energy storage means, components,and/or systems, and/or by sharing and/or distributing generated power,across a shared, common, and/or networked power bus and/or grid. Thiscapability and deployment scenario will facilitate the ability of sometethered collections and/or farms of devices to potentially utilize asmaller total number of batteries, capacitors, and/or other energystorage means, components, and/or systems, since the sharing of suchcomponents, systems, and/or reserves will tend to reduce the amount ofenergy that any one device will need to store in order to achieve acertain level of stability with respect to local variations in generatedpower and/or computing requirements.

Such energy storage, especially if a sufficiently great amount of energymay be thus stored, may allow device to continue powering a total numberof computers than could be directly powered by any instantaneous levelof generated electrical power. For example, an embodiment able to storeenough power to energize all of its computers for a day in the absenceof waves, may be able to avoid reducing its number of active computersduring a “lull” in the waves, and continue energizing them until thewaves resume.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure apply, consume, utilize,and/or apply, at least 50% of the electrical power that they generate tothe energizing, and/or operation, of their respective computing devicesand/or circuitry. Some embodiments of the present disclosure apply,consume, utilize, and/or apply, at least 90% of the electrical powerthat they generate to the energizing, and/or operation, of theirrespective computing devices and/or circuitry. Some embodiments of thepresent disclosure apply, consume, utilize, and/or apply, at least 99%of the electrical power that they generate to the energizing, and/oroperation, of their respective computing devices and/or circuitry.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure incorporate, utilize,energize, and/or operate, with a “power usage effectiveness” (PUE) of nomore than 1.1. Some embodiments of the present disclosure incorporate,utilize, energize, and/or operate, with a “power usage effectiveness”(PUE) of no more than 1.01. Some embodiments of the present disclosureincorporate, utilize, energize, and/or operate, with a “power usageeffectiveness” (PUE) of no more than 1.001.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure turn at least a portion oftheir respective computing devices on and off so as to at leastapproximately match the amount of electrical power being consumed bytheir respective “active” (i.e. energized, working, operating,computing, and/or functioning) computing devices, to the amount ofelectrical power being generated by the embodiments, and/or the rate atwhich the embodiments are extracting energy from the waves that buffetthem.

The power profile of a wave energy converter can be irregular, i.e. itcan generate large amounts of power for a few seconds, followed by apause of a few seconds when no power is generated. ASIC chips designedto computing hash values for the “mining” of cryptocurrencies cantypically compute many millions of hash values per second. In someembodiments, energy control circuits turn on and energize ASICs and/orCPUs when the wave energy converter is generating power, and de-energizeASICs when the wave energy converter is not generating power. In someembodiments, energy control circuits energize a quantity of ASICs thatcorresponds and/or is roughly proportional to the amount of power thewave energy converter is presently generating. In this manner, theamount of required power storage and/or buffering equipment can bereduced. In some embodiments, computing circuitry is energized andde-energized on a second-by-second basis. In some embodiments, it isenergized and de-energized on a millisecond by millisecond basis.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure turn at least a portion oftheir respective computing devices on and off so as to at leastapproximately match the amount of electrical power that their owncomputers forecast and/or estimate that they will generate at a futuretime. Some embodiments of the present disclosure turn at least a portionof their respective computing devices on and off so as to at leastapproximately match the amount of electrical power that has beenforecast and/or estimated by a computer on another device, and/or on acomputer at another remote location, that they will generate at a futuretime.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure select those tasks that theywill attempt to compute and/or execute so as to at least approximatelymatch the amount of future computing power, and/or the amount of time,required to complete those tasks will at least approximately match aforecast and/or estimated of computing power, and/or operational time,that will be available to the embodiment at a future time.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure, when deployed within a farmconfiguration in which the devices are collectively electricallyconnected to one or more terrestrial and/or other sources of electricalpower, may, e.g. when their power generation exceeds their computingpower requirements, send excess generated electrical power to shore.Conversely, devices deployed in such a farm configuration, in which thedevices are collectively electrically connected to one or moreterrestrial and/or other sources of electrical power, may, when theircomputing demands require more electrical energy than can be providedthrough the conversion of wave energy (e.g. when waves are small), drawenergy from those one or more terrestrial sources of power so as tocontinue computing and/or recharge their energy reserves.

Military/Rescue/Research

Some embodiments of the present disclosure may present tethers, mooringlines, cables, arms, sockets, berths, chutes, hubs, indentations, and/orconnectors, to which another vessel may attach, and/or moor, itself.Some embodiments of the present disclosure may present connectors,protocols, APIs, and/or other devices or components or interfaces, byand/or through which energy may be transferred and/or directed to betransferred from the embodiments to another vessel. The vessels thatmight receive such energy include, but are not limited to: autonomousunderwater vehicles, autonomous surface vessels, autonomous aircraft;and/or manned underwater vehicles (e.g. submarines), manned surfacevessels (e.g. cargo and/or container ships), and manned aircraft (e.g.helicopters).

Some of the vessels to which energy may be transferred and/ortransmitted may possess weapons. Some embodiments of the presentdisclosure may detect, monitor, log, track, identify, and/or inspect(e.g. visually, audibly, and/or electromagnetically), other vesselspassing within a sufficiently short to distance of a device such that atleast some of the device's sensors are able to detect, analyze, monitor,identify, characterize, and/or inspect, such other vessels. Aircraftoperating near some embodiments are detected and/or characterized bymeans and/or methods that include, but are not limited to: visually(e.g. with one or more cameras, detecting one or more wavelengths oflight, including, but not limited to visible light and infrared light),the detection of specific, e.g. engine-related, noises, the detection ofelectromagnetic emissions and/or radiation (e.g. radio transmissions andheat), the detection of gravimetric distortions, the detection ofmagnetic distortions, the detection of changes in ambient radioactivity,the detection of gamma-ray emissions, and/or the detection of noiseand/or other vibrations induced in the water on which the device floats.

Surface vessels operating near some embodiments are detected and/orcharacterized by means and/or methods that include, but are not limitedto: visually (e.g. with one or more cameras, detecting one or morewavelengths of light, including, but not limited to visible light andinfrared light), the detection of specific, e.g. engine-related, noisesand/or vibrations, especially those that might be transmitted throughand/or in the water on which the device floats, the detection ofelectromagnetic emissions and/or radiation (e.g. radio transmissions andheat), the detection of gravimetric distortions, the detection ofmagnetic distortions, the detection of changes in ambient radioactivity,the detection of gamma-ray emissions, and/or the detection of observedchanges in the behavior of local marine organisms (e.g. the direction inwhich a plurality of fish swim).

Sub-surface vessels operating near some embodiments are detected and/orcharacterized by means and/or methods that include, but are not limitedto: the detection of specific, e.g. engine-related, noises and/orvibrations, transmitted through and/or in the water on which the devicefloats, the detection of electromagnetic emissions and/or radiation(e.g. radio transmissions and heat), the detection of gravimetricdistortions, the detection of magnetic distortions, the detection ofchanges in ambient radioactivity, the detection of gamma-ray emissions,the detection of changes in the behavior of local marine organisms (e.g.the direction in which a plurality of fish swim), and/or the detectionof changes in the volume and/or clarity of ambient noises nominallyand/or typically generated by marine organisms, geological phenomena(e.g. volcanic and/or seismic events), current-induced noises (e.g.water movements around geological formations), and/or reflected noises(e.g. the noise of overpassing planes reflecting in specific patternsoff the seafloor).

A plurality of devices able to exchange data, message, and/or signals,and/or otherwise interconnected, may obtain high-resolution informationabout the nature, structure, behavior, direction, altitude and/or depth,speed, condition (e.g. damaged or fully functional), incorporation ofweapons, etc., through the sharing and synthesis of the relevant datagathered from the unique perspectives of each device.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure may transmit, e.g. viasatellite, to a remote computer and/or server, the detection, nature,character, direction of travel, speed, and/or other attributes, ofdetected, monitored, tracked, and/or observed, other vessels. Someembodiments may be able to receive, e.g. via satellite, and respond tocommands and/or requests for additional types of observations, sensorreadings, and/or responses, including, but not limited to: the firing ofmissiles, the firing of lasers, the emission of electromagnetic signalsintended to jam certain radio communications, the firing of torpedoes,the vigilant tracking of specific vessels (e.g. a prioritization of thetracking and/or monitoring of specific vessels over other nearbyvessels), the release of tracking devices, the emission of misleadingelectromagnetic transmissions (e.g. to mislead GPS readings, to mimicradio beacons and/or radars, etc.) . . . even the self-destruction ofthe device itself.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure may present connectors,interfaces, APIs, and/or other devices or components, by and/or throughwhich data may be exchanged between the embodiment and another vessel.Such other vessels might utilize such a data connection in order toobtain cached data, messages, signals, commands, and/or instructions,preferably encrypted, transmitted to the device from a remote sourceand/or server, and stored within the device, and/or within a pluralityof devices, any one of which may be accessed by another vessel for thepurpose of obtaining command and control information.

Such embodiments may facilitate the transmission of data, messages,status reports, and/or signals, preferably encrypted, from the othervessels to the remote source and/or server, especially by masking thesource of any such transmission within equivalent, but potentiallymeaningless, transmissions from a plurality, if not from all, otherdevices. If all of the devices of such an embodiment regularly transmitblocks of encrypted and/or fictitious data to a particular remote sourceand/or server, then the replacement of one device's block of data withactual data (the nature and/or relevance of which might only bediscernable to a receiver with one or more appropriate decryption keys,algorithms, and/or parameters) will effectively hide the location of anyand/or all such other vessels with respect to the detection of such datatransmissions. This mechanism of hiding the location of a device towhich another vessel is connected is particularly useful when the othervessel is a submersible and/or submarine, since it would presumably alsobe hidden from visual and (while at rest, connected to a device) audiodetection.

Dual-Purpose Buoys

Some embodiments of the present disclosure, when deployed in anchoredfarms of devices, will send electricity back to an onshore electricalpower grid via a subsea electrical power cable. However, when theelectrical demands of that terrestrial grid are not high, and/or theprice of electrical power sold into that grid is too low, then some orall of the devices in the farm may perform computations, such as Bitcoinmining and/or arbitrary or custom computational tasks for third parties,in order to generate revenue and/or profits.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure, when deployed in anchoredfarms of devices, or when free-floating, especially as individualdevices, will primarily generate and store electrical energy that maythen be transmitted conductively and/or inductively to autonomousvessels and/or aircraft (i.e. “drones”) via charging connections and/orpads. However, when any connected drones are fully charged and/or adevice's energy stores are full, then the device may consume any surplusgenerated electrical power performing computations, such as Bitcoinmining and/or arbitrary or custom computational tasks for third parties,in order to generate revenue and/or profits. Such a dual purpose mayalso facilitate the role of device in charging drones, and/or mayfacilitate the hiding of drones when the ratio of devices to drones ishigh.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure, when deployed in anchoredfarms of devices, or when free-floating, especially as individualdevices, will primarily energize, operate, and monitor various sensors,such as, but not limited to: sonar, radar, cameras, microphones,hydrophones, antennae, gravimeters, magnetometers, and Geiger counters,in order to monitor their environments (air and water) in order todetect, monitor, characterize, identify, and/or track other vesselsand/or aircraft, or to survey the ocean floor for minerals and othercharacteristics. However, when there are no proximate vessels and/oraircraft to track, then a device might utilize some of its underutilizedelectrical energy (and computational power) in order to performcomputations, such as Bitcoin mining and/or arbitrary or customcomputational tasks for third parties, in order to generate revenueand/or profits.

Utility

The current disclosure offers many potential benefits, including, butnot limited to: a decoupling of computing power (e.g. available CPUsand/or instructions per second) from the typically correlated supportingand/or enabling requirements, e.g., such as those associated with theconstruction, operation, and/or maintenance, of data centers and/orserver farms.

These requirements include the need that sufficient electrical power beprovided to energize a large number of computers. In order to transmitlarge amounts of electrical power into concentrated collections ofcomputers, it is typically necessary to bring the power to thecollections of computers at a high voltage and/or a high current.However, since individual computers, computing devices, and/or computingcircuits, require electrical power that is typically of a lower voltageand/or current, it is often necessary and/or preferred to partition thehigh-energy electrical power into multiple circuits of lower-energypower. These changes in voltage and/or current can result in some lossof energy and/or efficiency.

These requirements include the need to remove heat, and/or introducecooling, fast enough to compensate for the significant amounts of heatthat are generated by highly concentrated and extensive collections ofelectrically-powered computing devices. Such cooling is relativelyenergy intensive, e.g. significant electrically-powered refrigeration,fans, pumped liquid heat exchangers, etc.

Embodiments of the present disclosure obtain relatively small amounts ofelectrical power from water, and/or ocean, waves and utilize thatelectrical power to energize a relatively small number of computingdevices. By contrast with large, highly-concentrated, collections ofcomputers, the computers within embodiments of the current disclosureare able to be energized with electrical power that, at leastapproximately, matches electrical requirements of the computers, i.e.there is no need to transmit highly-energetic electrical power fromdistant sources before reducing that power down to voltages and/orcurrents that are compatible with the computers to be energized.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure achieve and/or satisfy all oftheir cooling requirements through purely passive and convective and/orconductive cooling. Thermally-conductive walls and/or pathwaysfacilitate the natural transmission of heat from the computing devicesto the air and/or water outside the device. A relatively smaller numberof devices means relatively less heat is generated. And, the proximityof a heat sink of significant capacity (i.e. the water on which thedevice floats) means that the removal of these relatively small amountsof heat conductively and/or convectively is achieved with greatefficiency and in the absence of any additional expenditures of energy.

The current disclosure increases the modularity of clusters of computingdevices by not only isolating them physically, but also by powering themindependently and autonomously, and by cooling them passively. Throughthe creation and deployment of additional self-powered computing buoys,a computing capability can be scaled in an approximately linear fashion,typically, if not always, without the non-linear and/or exponentialsupport requirements and/or consequences, e.g. cooling, that mightotherwise limit an ability to grow a less modular architecture and/orembodiment of computing resources.

The current disclosure provides a useful application for wind-energyconversion devices that requires significantly less capital expendituresand/or infrastructure. For instance, a free-floating and/or driftingdevice of the current disclosure can continuously complete computationaltasks, such as calculating Bitcoin ledgers and associated nonce values,while floating freely in very deep water (e.g. 3 miles deep) in themiddle of an ocean, hundreds or thousands of miles from shore. Such anapplication does not depend upon, nor require, a subsea power cable tosend electrical power to shore. It does not require extensive mooringand/or the deployment of numerous anchors in order to fix the positionof a device, e.g. so that it can be linked to a subsea power cable.

By providing alternate computational resources, that draw their powerdirectly from the environment, and by completing computational taskscurrently executed in terrestrial clusters of computers, the amount ofelectrical power required on land can be reduced. And, thereby, theamount of electrical power generated through the consumption of fossilfuels, and the concomitant generation of greenhouse gases, can bereduced.

All potential variations in sizes, shapes, thicknesses, materials,orientations, methods, mechanisms, procedures, processes, electricalcharacteristics and/or requirements, and/or other embodiment-specificvariations of the general inventive designs, structures, systems, and/ormethods disclosed herein are included within the scope of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the presentinvention. A flotation module 100 (also referred to herein as a buoy),floats adjacent to the surface 101 of a body of water. Attached to,mounted on, and/or incorporated within, the buoy 100 is a power take-off(PTO) 102, and/or electrical power-generation assembly. A ribbon cable104 connects the PTO to a submerged inertial mass 105, the cabletraveling vertically through an aperture 103 in the buoy. As the buoy ismoved up and down by waves, the inertial mass 105 inertially resiststhat motion, thereby causing the ribbon cable 104 to move over, around,and/or relative to, the gears, pulleys, drums, and/or cable-engagementcomponents, of the PTO 102, thereby facilitating the generation ofelectrical power by a generator.

At least a portion of the electrical power generated by the PTO 102 isstored within batteries 109, capacitors, chemical fuel (e.g. hydrogen)generators and storage mechanisms, and/or other energy storagemechanisms, systems, assemblies, and/or components. Also attached to,mounted on, and/or incorporated within, the buoy 100 is at least onechamber 106, module, and/or container, in which are affixed a pluralityof computing devices. The computing devices therein are powered and/orenergized at least in part by electrical energy provided and/or suppliedby batteries 109 and/or directly by the PTO 102.

Heat generated by the computing devices within computing module 106 isdissipated, at least in part, across the surfaces of fins 107 attachedto the top of the computing module 106A, thereby warming the air abovethe buoy 100, and, at least in part, across the surfaces of fins 108attached to the bottom of the computing module 106B, thereby warming thewater below the buoy 100.

The illustrated embodiment 100 receives tasks, programs, data, messages,signals, information, and/or digital values, emitted 112, issues, and/ortransmitted, from at least one satellite 111, at least in part, throughantenna 110, the data having, at least in part, originated from a remotecomputer and/or server.

The illustrated embodiment 100 transmits 113, communicates, emits,and/or issues, data, task results, messages, signals, information,status updates, and/or digital values, at least in part, from antenna110, which are subsequently received, at least in part, by satellite111, which may then transmit that received data to a remote computerand/or server.

FIG. 2 shows a top-down view of the embodiment of FIG. 1. A buoy 100floats adjacent to the surface of a body of water. Attached to, mountedon, and/or incorporated within, the buoy 100 is a power take-off (PTO)102, and/or electrical power-generation assembly. The PTO includes atleast two pulleys and/or rollers 102A and 102B, about which a ribboncable 102C passes and/or rolls. The ribbon cable 102C connects the PTOto a submerged inertial mass, traveling vertically through an aperture103 in the buoy.

At least a portion of the electrical power generated by the PTO 102 isstored in an enclosed bank 109, assembly, and/or set of batteries,capacitors, chemical fuel (e.g. hydrogen) generators and storagemechanisms, and/or other energy storage mechanisms. A plurality ofcomputers, computing devices, network connectors, and/or computingresources, are stored within chamber 106A, enclosure, module, and/orcontainer, mounted on, embedded and/or incorporated within the buoy 100.Affixed to the top of the computing module 106A are heat-dissipatingand/or cooling fins 107 that facilitate the transfer of heat generatedby the computing resources within the computing module 106A to the airabove the buoy. An antenna 110 receives data transmitted by a satellite,and transmits data to a satellite. In some embodiments, antenna 110transmits data to, and receives data from, other similar devices.

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the same embodiment of the currentdisclosure illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, and taken along a section plane“2” specified in FIG. 2. A buoy 100 floats adjacent to the surface 101of a body of water. Attached to, mounted on, and/or incorporated within,the buoy 100 is a power take-off (PTO) 102, and/or electricalpower-generation assembly. The PTO includes at least two pulleys and/orrollers 102A and 102B, about which a ribbon cable 102C passes and/orrolls. The ribbon cable 102C/104 connects the PTO to a submergedinertial mass 105, via a ribbon bar connector 121, traveling verticallythrough an aperture 103 in and through the buoy. A plurality ofcomputers 114/115, computing devices, network connectors, and/orcomputing resources, are stored within chamber 106, enclosure, module,and/or container, mounted on, embedded and/or incorporated within thebuoy 100.

In this illustrated embodiment 100, computing resources and/or computersare affixed within two vertical banks 116 and 117 and/or arrays. As theyoperate, and consume electrical power, they generate heat which givesrise to convective currents, e.g. 118, within the computing module 106and/or chamber. The convective currents carry heat from the computingdevices and/or circuits to upper 107 and lower 108 fins. Affixed to thetop of the computing module 106 are heat-dissipating and/or cooling fins107 that facilitate the transfer 120 of heat generated by the computingresources within the computing module 106 to the air above the buoy.Affixed to the bottom of the computing module 106 are heat-dissipatingand/or cooling fins 108 that facilitate the transfer 119 of heatgenerated by the computing resources within the computing module 106 tothe water below the buoy.

In some embodiments, the fluid within the computing chamber 106 is air.In some embodiments, the fluid within the computing chamber 106 is aliquid, especially one that does not conduct electricity to asignificant degree. In some embodiments, the material within thecomputing chamber 106 that surrounds the computing circuits 116 and 117is a phase-changing material that does not conduct electricity to asignificant degree.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of thepresent invention. A buoy 130, flotation module, floating platform,vessel, raft, and/or buoyant object, floats adjacent to the surface 131of a body of water. Attached to, mounted on, and/or incorporated within,the buoy 130 is a plurality of power take-offs (PTOs), e.g. 132, and/orelectrical power-generation assemblies. PTO-specific cables, e.g. 133,chains, ropes, linkages, and/or flexible connectors, connect eachrespective PTO to the approximate center of a submerged inertial mass134. The cables pass through a hole 135 and/or aperture in a top surfaceof the inertial mass 134.

Mounted on and/or in, attached and/or affixed to, and/or incorporatedwithin, the buoy 130 are two “computing chambers and/or modules” 136 and137. These are sealed, waterproof chambers inside of which are mountedand/or affixed computing circuits, computing devices, and/or computingresources and/or networks. The computing circuits are energized directlyand/or indirectly by electrical power generated by the embodiment's PTOsin response to wave action. Thermally-conductive fins, e.g. 138 and 139,are affixed to top surfaces of the computing chambers 136 and 137. Thesefins expedite the transfer of heat, generated by computers within thecomputing chambers, to the air above and/or around the embodiment.

The illustrated embodiment 130 contains and/or incorporates a keel 141,with a weighted end 142, that enhances and/or promotes the stability ofthe device. The embodiment 130 also incorporates a rigid sail 140 thatis able to impart motion to the device when driven by wind. The amountof wind-driven thrust is adjustable and/or able to be optimized throughthe rotation of the sail to an optimal angle with respect to the winddirection. A rudder 143 allows the device's control system (e.g. one ormore computers that control the behavior of the device) to steer theembodiment when it is moved in response to wind passing over its rigidsail 140.

An antenna 144 mounted on, and/or affixed to, the top of the rigid sail140 allows the device to send and receive electronic, and/orelectromagnetic, transmissions, preferably encrypted. In someembodiments, this antenna exchanges digital data with a satellitethrough which the device can exchange data, programs, instructions,status information, and/or other digital values, with a remote computerand/or server. In some embodiments, this antenna exchanges digital datawith other similar devices, e.g. allowing them to be joined and/orconnected within a virtual computing network that includes and/orextends to at least a portion of the computers on the so-linked devices.

FIG. 5 shows a top-down view of the embodiment of FIG. 4. A buoy 130floats adjacent to the surface of a body of water. Attached to, mountedon, and/or incorporated within, the buoy 130 is a plurality of powertake-offs (PTOs), e.g. 132, and/or electrical power-generationassemblies. PTO-specific cables, e.g. 133 connect each respective PTO tothe approximate center of a submerged inertial mass 134.

Mounted on and/or in, attached and/or affixed to, and/or incorporatedwithin, the buoy 130 are two “computing chambers and/or modules” 136 and137. These are sealed, waterproof chambers inside of which are mountedand/or affixed computing circuits, computing devices, and/or computingresources and/or networks. The computing circuits are energized directlyand/or indirectly by electrical power generated by the embodiment's PTOsin response to wave action. Thermally-conductive fins, e.g. 138 and 139,are affixed to top surfaces of the computing chambers 136 and 137. Thesefins expedite the transfer of heat, generated by computers within thecomputing chambers, to the air above and/or around the embodiment. The“computing chambers and/or modules” 136 and 137 cover a substantialportion of an upper surface of the buoy 130, so as to be easily cooledby wind.

The embodiment 130 incorporates a rigid sail 140 that is able to impartthrust to the device when driven by wind. The amount of thrust beingadjustable and/or able to be optimized through the rotation of the sailto an optimal angle with respect to the wind direction. An antenna 144mounted on, and/or affixed to, the top of the rigid sail 140 allows thedevice to send and receive electronic, and/or electromagnetic,transmissions (e.g. radio).

FIG. 6 shows a side view of an embodiment of the present invention. Abuoy 130 floats adjacent to the surface 131 of a body of water. Attachedto, mounted on, and/or incorporated within, the buoy 130 is a pluralityof power take-offs (PTOs), e.g. 132, and/or electrical power-generationassemblies. PTO-specific cables, e.g. 133, chains, ropes, linkages,and/or flexible connectors, connect each respective PTO to theapproximate center of a submerged inertial mass 134. The cables passthrough a hole 135 and/or aperture in a top surface of the inertial mass134, before connecting to it at an approximate central portion of it.

Mounted on and/or in, attached and/or affixed to, and/or incorporatedwithin, the buoy 130 are two “computing chambers and/or modules” 136 and137. These are sealed, waterproof chambers inside of which are mountedand/or affixed computing circuits, computing devices, and/or computingresources and/or networks. The computing circuits are energized directlyand/or indirectly by electrical power generated by the embodiment's PTOsin response to wave action. Thermally-conductive fins, e.g. 138 and 139,are affixed to top surfaces of the computing chambers 136 and 137. Thesefins expedite the transfer of heat, generated by computers within thecomputing chambers, to the air above and/or around the embodiment.

The illustrated embodiment 130 contains and/or incorporates a keel 141,with a weighted end 142, that enhances and/or promotes the stability ofthe device. The embodiment 130 also incorporates a rigid sail 140 thatis able to impart thrust to the device when driven by wind. The amountof thrust being adjustable and/or able to be optimized through therotation of the sail to an optimal angle with respect to the winddirection. A rudder 143 allows the device's control system (e.g. one ormore computers that control the behavior of the device) to steer theembodiment when it is moved in response to wind passing over its rigidsail 140.

An antenna 144 mounted on, and/or affixed to, the top of the rigid sail140 allows the device to send and receive electronic, and/orelectromagnetic, transmissions, preferably encrypted. In someembodiments, this antenna exchanges digital data with a satellitethrough which the device can exchange data, programs, instructions,status information, and/or other digital values, with a remote computerand/or server. In some embodiments, this antenna exchanges digital datawith other similar devices, e.g. allowing them to be joined and/orconnected within a virtual computing network that includes and/orextends to at least a portion of the computers on the so-linked devices.

FIG. 7 shows a back and/or rear view of the embodiment of FIG. 4. A buoy130 floats adjacent to the surface of a body of water. Attached to,mounted on, and/or incorporated within, the buoy 130 is a plurality ofpower take-offs (PTOs), e.g. 132, and/or electrical power-generationassemblies. PTO-specific cables, e.g. 133, chains, ropes, linkages,and/or flexible connectors, connect each respective PTO to theapproximate center of a submerged inertial mass 134. The cables passthrough a hole 135 and/or aperture in a top surface of the inertial mass134.

Mounted on and/or in, attached and/or affixed to, and/or incorporatedwithin, the buoy 130 are two “computing chambers and/or modules,” e.g.136. These are sealed, waterproof chambers inside of which are mountedand/or affixed computing circuits, computing devices, and/or computingresources and/or networks. The computing circuits are energized directlyand/or indirectly by electrical power generated by the embodiment's PTOsin response to wave action. Thermally-conductive fins, e.g. 138, areaffixed to top surfaces of the computing chambers, e.g. 136. These finsexpedite the transfer of heat, generated by computers within thecomputing chambers, to the air above and/or around the embodiment.

The illustrated embodiment 130 contains and/or incorporates a keel 141,with a weighted end 142, that enhances and/or promotes the stability ofthe device. The embodiment 130 also incorporates a rigid sail 140 thatis able to impart thrust to the device when driven by wind. The amountof thrust is adjustable and/or able to be optimized through the rotationof the sail to an optimal angle with respect to the wind direction. Arudder 143 allows the device's control system (e.g. one or morecomputers that control the behavior of the device) to steer theembodiment when it is moved in response to wind passing over its rigidsail 140.

An antenna 144 mounted on, and/or affixed to, the top of the rigid sail140 allows the device to send and receive electronic, and/orelectromagnetic, transmissions, preferably encrypted. In someembodiments, this antenna exchanges digital data with a satellitethrough which the device can exchange data, programs, instructions,status information, and/or other digital values, with a remote computerand/or server. In some embodiments, this antenna exchanges digital datawith other similar devices, e.g. allowing them to be joined and/orconnected within a virtual computing network that includes and/orextends to at least a portion of the computers on the so-linked devices.

FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of thepresent invention. A buoy 150, and/or buoyant platform, floats adjacentto the surface 151 of a body of water. The buoyant platform is composed,and/or comprised, of buoyant “slats,” e.g. 152 and 153. The slats, e.g.153, of the upper layer are affixed to an underlying lower layer ofslats, e.g. 152. The slats of the upper and lower layers areapproximately orthogonal to one another. Mounted on, and/or affixed to,an upper surface of the upper layer of slats, e.g. 153, are “loaddistribution struts,” e.g. 154. These approximately rigid struts help todistribute downward forces imparted to strut 156, e.g. by the flexibleconnector and/or cable which connects that strut to submerged Venturitube 160, across the upper surface of the buoyant platform 153. Theyalso help to collect and concentrate upward, e.g. buoyant, forcesimparted to lower surfaces of the buoyant platform, e.g. 152, tofacilitate their non-destructive transmission to strut 156, and to thecable 157 to which it is attached.

Additional orthogonal layers of struts overly the bottom layer ofstruts, e.g. 154. Fewer, but larger and stronger struts, e.g. 155, areaffixed to the bottom layer of struts, e.g. 154. A single upper-moststrut 156 is affixed to the intermediate layer of struts, e.g. 155.Downward forces imparted to strut 156, by cable 157 attached to strut156 at 158, are distributed down and across the underlying layers ofstruts, on to, and through, the orthogonal layers of buoyant struts,e.g. 152 and 153. In this way, the broad, diffuse buoyant forces appliedto the buoyant platform by the body of water on which it floats, can befocused so as to counter the downward force applied to strut 156 atconnector 158.

A generator located within the Venturi tube, generated electrical powerin response to the up-and-down heave-driven vertical motions of thebuoyant platform 150. The electrical power is communicated and/ortransmitted to the buoyant platform through an electrical cable affixedto, and/or combined with, cable 157. Mounted atop the intermediate layerof struts, e.g. 155, are two “computing chambers” 161 and 162. Insidethese computing chambers are mounted, and/or affixed, computingcircuits, computers, and/or computing devices, and related accessories(e.g. routers, switches, etc.). Fluid based heat exchangers, e.g. 163,164, 166, circulate water, and/or other heat absorbing fluids and/orgases, by means of pipes, e.g. 163 and 166, through each computingchamber carrying heat generated within each computing chamber, throughthe operation of at least some of the computing devices therein, to aradiator 164 where at least a portion of that heat is transferred 165,communicated, radiated, and/or imparted, to the water 151 on which theembodiment floats, warming that water in the process.

Mounted atop the bottom-most layer of struts, e.g. 154, are twopropeller-driven propulsion assemblies 170 and 171, units, and/ormechanisms. Using a portion of the electrical power generated by thegenerator in the Venturi tube 160, motors within propulsion assemblies170 and 171, turn propellers 168 and 169. Through the controlledvariation of, and/or the creation of a differential, thrust generated bypropellers 168 and 169, the buoyant platform and the embodiment, may bepropelled in any direction, and “driven” to a specific location (e.g. tospecific geospatial coordinates) on the surface of the body of water.

FIG. 9 shows a top-down view of another embodiment of the presentinvention. A buoy 180 floats adjacent to an upper surface of a body ofwater. One end of a cable 182, chain, rope, and/or flexible connector,passes downward through an aperture 195 in the buoy 180 where it isconnected to an anchor (not shown) affixed to the seafloor. The cable iswound around a drum 181, pulley, and/or rotating capstan, whichincreases the frictional binding between the cable and the drum. Theother end of the cable 183 passes downward through the aperture 195 inthe buoy 180 where it is connected to a submerged weight (not shown). Aswaves, especially the heave, moves the buoy up and down, the cable182-183 rotates the drum 181 which is rotatably connected to a generator184, and/or power take-off (PTO).

At least a portion of the electrical power so generated can be storedwithin the batteries, capacitors, chemical fuel (e.g. hydrogen)generators and storage mechanisms, and/or other energy storagemechanisms and/or devices, located within four “energy-storagecompartments and/or modules” 185-188. About the periphery of the buoyare positioned four “computational chambers and/or enclosures” 190-193.Affixed within each computational chamber is a plurality of computingdevices, computing circuits, computers, and/or networked computers. Atleast some of those computing devices are energized, at least in part,with energy provided by and/or from the energy-storage modules 185-188.At least a portion of the heat generated by the computers or computingcircuits within each computational chamber is convectively transmittedto the thermally conductive walls of each chamber. And, heat-dissipatingfins, e.g. 193, attached and/or affixed to an upper surface of eachcomputational chamber facilitate and/or expedite the transfer of theheat trapped within the chambers to the air above and/or around thebuoy.

A cable 194 is connected to the embodiment. In some embodiments, thiscable contains and/or incorporates a fiber-optic cable that facilitatesthe transmission and/or exchange of digital data between computerswithin the embodiment and computers not located in the embodiment (e.g.computers connected to the Internet). In some embodiments, this cablecontains and/or incorporates an electrical power cable that makes itpossible for the device to transmit power to a consumer and/or grid atanother end of the cable. In some embodiments, this cable containsand/or incorporates an electrical power cable that makes it possible forthe device to receive electrical power from a remote source and/orlocation, e.g. another similar device and/or a terrestrial power grid.

FIG. 10 shows a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 9, and taken along asection plane “9” specified in FIG. 9. A buoy 180 floats adjacent to anupper surface 199 of a body of water. One end of a cable 182, chain,rope, and/or flexible connector, passes downward through an aperture 195in the buoy 180 where it is connected to an anchor 196 affixed to theseafloor 197. The cable is wound around a drum 181, pulley, and/orrotating capstan, which increases the frictional binding between thecable and the drum. The other end of the cable 183 passes downwardthrough the aperture 195 in the buoy 180 where it is connected to asubmerged weight 198. As waves, especially the heave, moves the buoy upand down, the cable 182-183 rotates the drum 181 which is rotatablyconnected to a generator 184, and/or power take-off (PTO).

At least a portion of the electrical power so generated is stored withinthe batteries, capacitors, chemical fuel (e.g. hydrogen) generators andstorage mechanisms, and/or other energy storage mechanisms and/ordevices, located within four “energy-storage compartments and/ormodules,” e.g. 186 and 188.

About the periphery of the buoy are positioned four “computationalchambers and/or enclosures,” e.g. 190 and 192. Affixed within eachcomputational chamber is a plurality of computing devices, computingcircuits, computers, and/or networked computers, arranged in racks, e.g.200-203, arrays, and/or sub-assemblies. At least some of those computingdevices are energized, at least in part, with energy provided by and/orfrom the energy-storage modules, e.g. 186-188.

At least a portion of the heat generated by the computers within eachcomputational chamber is convectively transmitted to the thermallyconductive walls, e.g. 190 and 192 of each chamber. And,heat-dissipating fins 193, attached and/or affixed to an upper surfaceof each computational chamber facilitate and/or expedite the transfer205 of at least a portion of the heat trapped within the chambers to theair above and/or around the buoy. Likewise, the thermally-conductivewalls of the computational chambers 190 and 192 that are submerged belowthe surface 199 of the body of water on which the device floats,transfer 206 at least a portion of the heat trapped within the chambersto the water around and/or adjacent to the buoy 180.

One end of a cable 194 is connected to the embodiment. A portion of thecable proximate to the buoy 180 descends to the seafloor where ittravels adjacent to the seafloor to a remote location, e.g. to a site onland.

In some embodiments, this cable contains and/or incorporates afiber-optic cable that facilitates the transmission and/or exchange ofdigital data between computers within the embodiment and computers notlocated in the embodiment (e.g. computers connected to the Internet). Insome embodiments, this cable contains and/or incorporates an electricalpower cable that makes it possible for the device to transmit power to aconsumer and/or grid at another end of the cable. In some embodiments,this cable contains and/or incorporates an electrical power cable thatmakes it possible for the device to receive electrical power from aremote source and/or location, e.g. another similar device and/or aterrestrial power grid.

FIG. 11 shows a top-down view of an embodiment of the present invention.A buoy 210 floats adjacent to an upper surface of a body of water. Oneend of a multi-stranded, laterally-distributed, cable 212, chain, rope,and/or flexible connector, passes downward through an aperture 211 inthe buoy 210 where it is connected to a submerged inertial mass (notshown). Each strand of the multi-stranded cable 212 is wound around apair of drums 213-214, pulleys, and/or rotating capstans, whichincreases the frictional binding between the cable and the drum. Theother end of each strand of the multi-stranded cable 212 is affixed todrum 214. As waves, especially the heave, moves the buoy up and down,the cable 212 rotates the drums 213-214 which causes a shaft ofgenerator 215, and/or power take-off (PTO), to rotate as well, therebygenerating electrical power.

Within one end of buoy 210 is embedded a sealed and/or waterproof and/orwater-tight “computational chamber and/or enclosure” 216. Computationalchamber 216 is attached to an upper surface of buoy 210 by a flange 219.The walls, e.g. 216, of the computational chamber below the flange, andthe corresponding and/or adjacent walls of the buoy, e.g. 217, areseparated by a gap 218. Within the space and/or gap, the computationalchamber is surrounded by, and/or bathed in, a thermally-conductivefluid. Heat-dissipating fins, e.g. 220, are attached and/or affixed toan upper surface of the computational chamber and facilitate and/orexpedite the transfer of the heat trapped within the chambers to the airabove and/or around the buoy.

Affixed to and/or within the computational chamber 216 is a plurality ofcomputing devices, computing circuits, computers, and/or networkedcomputers. At least some of those computing devices are energized, atleast in part, with electrical power generated by the PTO 215. At leasta portion of the heat generated by the computing devices within thecomputational chamber 216 is convectively transmitted to the thermallyconductive upper wall of the chamber, and to the fins, e.g. 220,thereon, from which it is convectively transmitted and/or transferred tothe air above the buoy.

A pair of ducted fans 221-222 mounted to an upper surface of the buoy210 provide forward thrust with which the embodiment may propel itselfacross the surface of the water on which it floats. When active, theducted fans consume a portion of the electrical power generated by thegenerator 215. Through the controlled variation of, and/or the creationof a differential, thrust generated by the fans, the buoy, may propelitself in any direction, and/or to any specific location (e.g. tospecific geospatial coordinates) on the surface of the body of water.

FIG. 12 shows a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 11, and taken alonga section plane “11” specified in FIG. 11. A buoy 210 floats adjacent toan upper surface 233 of a body of water. One end of a multi-stranded,laterally-distributed, cable 212/225, chain, rope, and/or flexibleconnector, passes downward through an aperture 211 in the buoy 210 whereit is connected to a submerged inertial mass 226. Each strand of themulti-stranded cable 212/225 is wound around a pair of drums 213-214,pulleys, and/or rotating capstans, which increases the frictionalbinding between the cable and the drum. The other end of each strand ofthe multi-stranded cable 212 is affixed to drum 214. As waves,especially the heave, moves the buoy up and down, the cable 212 rotatesthe drums 213-214 which causes a shaft of generator 215, and/or powertake-off (PTO), to rotate as well, thereby generating electrical power.

Within one end of buoy 210 is embedded a sealed and/or waterproof and/orwater-tight “computational chamber and/or enclosure” 216. Computationalchamber 216 is attached to an upper surface of buoy 210 by a flange 219.Those walls of the computational chamber 216 which are located below theflange 219, and the corresponding and/or adjacent walls of the buoy, areseparated by a gap, space, and/or void 218. Within the space 218 and/orgap, the computational chamber 216 is surrounded by, and/or bathed in, athermally-conductive fluid. A thermally-conductive plate 227 and/or wallis affixed to an upper surface of a “ledge” 228 at the base of theaperture 218 and/or space containing the thermally-conductive fluid 218.This structural configuration provides a secure surface on which toattach plate 227 while providing the downward surface of that plate withsignificant contact with the water below the buoy.

Heat-dissipating fins, e.g. 220, are attached and/or affixed to an uppersurface of the computational chamber 216 and facilitate and/or expeditethe transfer 231 of the heat trapped within the chambers to the airabove and/or around the buoy. Heat-dissipating fins, e.g. 230, are alsoattached and/or affixed to a thermally-conductive plate 227, and/orwall, that separates the space 218 from the water 233 surrounding thebuoy 210. The fins 230 allow heat conductively transmitted and/ortransferred from the fluid 218 to the plate 227 to be more quickly andefficiently transmitted 232 and/or transferred to the water beneath thebuoy.

Affixed to and/or within the computational chamber 216 is a plurality ofcomputing devices, computing circuits, computers, and/or networkedcomputers. At least some of those computing devices are energized, atleast in part, with electrical power generated by the PTO 215. At leasta portion of the heat generated by the computing devices within thecomputational chamber 216 is convectively transmitted to the thermallyconductive upper wall of the chamber, and to the upper, e.g. 220, finsthereon, from which it is convectively transmitted and/or transferred tothe air above the buoy.

At least a portion of the heat generated by the computing devices withinthe computational chamber 216 is convectively transmitted to thethermally conductive side and bottom walls of the chamber 216, andthereafter and/or therethrough to the heat-conductive fluid surroundingthe chamber 216. At least a portion of the heat in the fluid 218 istransferred and/or transmitted to the plate 227, and thereafter and/ortherethrough to lower fins, e.g. 230, thereon, from which it isconvectively transmitted and/or transferred to the water below the buoy.

A pair of ducted fans, e.g. 221, are mounted to an upper surface of thebuoy 210 and provide forward thrust with which the embodiment may propelitself across the surface 233 of the water on which it floats. Whenactive, the ducted fans consume a portion of the electrical powergenerated by the generator 215. Through the controlled variation of,and/or the creation of a differential, thrust generated by the fans, andin conjunction with the directionally-stabilizing influence of therudder-like fins 230, the buoy, may propel itself in any direction,and/or to any specific location (e.g. to specific geospatialcoordinates) on the surface of the body of water.

FIG. 13 shows a side view of an embodiment of the present invention. Theembodiment 431 incorporates an “attenuator” type of wave energyextraction technology, wherein buoyant cylinders, e.g. 430 and 431,float adjacent to the surface 432 of a body of water. As waves approachone end of the device (e.g. from the left side of the figure), and passunder the device, moving approximately parallel to the longitudinal axisof the device, the buoyant cylinders, e.g. 430 and 431, flex, e.g. 433and 434, and buckle about intermediary hinged connectors, e.g. 435, asthey approximately conform to the approximately sinusoidal profile ofthe waves.

Between each pair of buoyant cylinders is a power take-off (PTO) module,e.g. 435, and/or mechanism. In some embodiments, this PTO utilizesand/or incorporates hydraulic rams that convert the flexing adjacentbuoyant cylinder motion into pressurized hydraulic fluid, which thenflows through at least one hydraulic generator, thereby generatingelectrical power.

At least a portion of the electrical power generated in response to waveaction on the device is stored in energy-storage modules, units, and/orassemblies, positioned within one or more of the buoyant cylinders, e.g.430, and which may include, but are not limited to: batteries,capacitors, and/or chemical fuel (e.g. hydrogen) generators and storagemechanisms.

Also positioned within one or more of the buoyant cylinders, e.g. 430,are arrays, racks, and/or assemblies, of computing devices, computingcircuits, computers, and/or computational equipment and/or resources.These computing circuits are energized, at least in part, by at least aportion of the electrical power generated by the PTOs, e.g. 435.

FIG. 14 shows a semi-transparent side view of the same embodiment of thecurrent disclosure that is illustrated in FIG. 13. The embodiment 430incorporates an “attenuator” type of wave energy extraction technology,wherein buoyant cylinders, e.g. 430, float adjacent to the surface 432of a body of water. As waves approach one end of the device (e.g. fromthe left side of the figure), and pass under the device, movingapproximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of the device, thebuoyant cylinders, e.g. 430, flex and buckle about intermediary hingedconnectors, e.g. 435, as they approximately conform to the approximatelysinusoidal profile of the waves.

Between each pair of buoyant cylinders is a power take-off (PTO) module,e.g. 435, and/or mechanism. In some embodiments, this PTO utilizesand/or incorporates hydraulic rams that convert the flexing adjacentbuoyant cylinder motion into pressurized hydraulic fluid, which thenflows through at least one hydraulic generator, thereby generatingelectrical power.

At least a portion of the electrical power generated in response to waveaction on the device is stored in energy-storage modules, e.g. 437,units, and/or assemblies, positioned within one or more of the buoyantcylinders, e.g. 430, and which may include, but are not limited to:batteries, capacitors, and/or chemical fuel (e.g. hydrogen) generatorsand storage mechanisms.

Also positioned within one or more of the buoyant cylinders, e.g. 430,are arrays, e.g. 436, racks, and/or assemblies, of computing devices,computing circuits, computers, and/or computational equipment and/orresources. These computing circuits are energized, at least in part, byat least a portion of the electrical power generated by the PTOs, e.g.435. In some embodiments, the space, e.g. 438, within which thecomputers are affixed and operate is filled with air. In otherembodiments, it is filled with a heat-conductive fluid, and/or aphase-change material. The heat transferred from the computers, as theyconsume electrical power, to the air or liquid surrounding them, isthereafter transferred to the thermally-conductive walls, and/or aportion thereof, which transfers it to the water on which the devicefloats. This process of heat transfer efficiently, convectively, andpassively, cools the computers.

FIG. 15 shows a sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 13, takenacross a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the device and one ofits buoyant cylinders. As the buoyant cylinders, e.g. 430 and 431, flexin response to passing waves, the power take-off unit 435 between themconverts some of the force arising from that flexing to the compressionof hydraulic fluid, which is then used to turn the shaft of a generateand generate electrical power.

Positioned within one or more of the buoyant cylinders, e.g. 430, arecollections, chambers, modules, and/or assemblies, including, and/orhousing, various energy storage devices, mechanisms, and/or systems,including, but not limited to: batteries, capacitors, springs,components, features, circuits, devices, processes, and/or chemical fuel(e.g. hydrogen) generators and storage mechanisms.

Positioned within one or more of the buoyant cylinders, e.g. 430, arearrays, e.g. 436, racks, and/or assemblies, of computing devices,computing circuits, computers, and/or computational equipment and/orresources. These computing circuits are energized, at least in part, byat least a portion of the electrical power generated by the PTOs, e.g.435, and/or by at least a portion of the electrical power stored in theenergy storage devices, e.g. 437 and 439.

In some embodiments, the space, e.g. 438, within which the computers areaffixed and operate is filled with air. In other embodiments, it isfilled with a heat-conductive fluid, and/or a phase-change material. Theheat transferred from the computers, as they consume electrical power,to the air or liquid surrounding them, is thereafter transferred to thethermally-conductive walls, and/or a portion thereof, which transfers itto the water on which the device floats. This process of heat transferefficiently, convectively, and passively, cools the computers.

FIG. 16 shows a perspective view of three embodiments 240-242 of thecurrent disclosure as their sail in formation across the surface of abody of water. These devices are similar to the one illustrated anddiscussed in relation to FIGS. 4-7.

Rigid sails, e.g. 246, allow the devices to generate thrust 253-255 whenbuffeted by winds of sufficient speed and stability. In sealed chambersand/or enclosures, e.g. 244-245, affixed to their upper surfaces areenclosed computing devices that are energized, at least in part, byelectrical power generated by the PTOs, e.g. 243, on each device. Thesecomputing devices perform calculations, at least some of which providedby, and/or coordinated with, a remote source and/or server. Each devicehas an antenna, e.g. 247, with and/or through which it exchanges, e.g.248 and 250, data with a satellite 249, and/or with each other, e.g.251-252.

In some embodiments, a single device, e.g. 241, transmits 248 data to,and/or receives 250 data from, the satellite 249. This single “interfacedevice” 241 then communicates data received from the satellite 249 to,e.g. 251, each of the other devices, e.g. 240. This interface device 241also receives, e.g. 252, the data from each other device, e.g. 240, andmay transmit some or all of that data, perhaps after synthesis with datasupplied by other devices, to the satellite from where it is forwardedto a remote source and/or server.

FIG. 17 shows a perspective view of five embodiments 260-264 of thecurrent disclosure that are tethered and/or moored, e.g. 268, to oneanother, thereby comprising a “farm,” and four of those devices aretethered and/or moored to three anchored mooring buoys, e.g. 266.

Device 260 is both moored, and electrically connected, to device 261. Amooring cable is connected to device 260 and to float 270. A mooringcable is likewise connected to device 261 and float 269. The two floatsare together supported a weight suspended beneath them be a cable toeach. This assembly provides a single mooring connector and/or tetherconnecting devices 260 and 261. It also provides elasticity to theconnection, because if or when devices 260 and 261 move apart the twofloats 269-270 are pulled apart, thereby lifting the weight suspendedbeneath them. This lifting of the weight provides a restoring force thatwill eventually pull the devices back together again. Each pair ofdevices in the illustrated farm are connected together by such elasticmooring connectors.

Four of the devices 260-263 are elastically connected to floats 265-267which are in turn attached and/or connected to anchors resting on,and/or other anchoring means (e.g. screws) embedded in, the seafloor. Atleast some of the devices 260-264 contain and/or incorporate computingdevices, computing circuits, computers, and/or computational resources,that enable them to execute programs, e.g. arbitrary programs providedby a remote source and/or server, sometimes executed relative tospecific bodies and/or collections of data.

Electrical cables, e.g. 274, are connected to, and/or supported by, someof the elastic mooring tethers, e.g. 273, comprise, create, and/orconstitute, an electrical grid within and/or across the farm. In variousembodiments, these electrical cables include, but are not limited to:fiber-optic cables, LAN cables, Ethernet cables, and electrical powercables. Likewise, a subsea electrical cable 277 connects the farm'selectrical and/or data grid to terrestrial electrical power grids and/orterrestrial data networks, e.g. the Internet.

Because of their interconnection by such electrical and/ordata-transmission cables, the devices 260-264 may operate within ashared “virtual” computing network, and therefore and/or thereby mayshare data, parallelize programs, shard parameter ranges, etc. Also, bymeans of subsea electrical and/or data cable 277, the farm, and/or thedevices therein, may obtain programs, and/or other computational tasks,from a remote source and/or server, by means of a terrestrial datanetwork, such as the Internet. Likewise, the results and/or dataresulting from the completed execution of a program may be returned tothe remote source and/or server by means of the subsea cable 277 and anattached data network, such as the Internet.

The illustrated configuration is consistent with any of the individualdevice embodiments illustrated and discussed in relation to FIGS. 1-15,even those embodiments that are self-propelled. The use ofdevice-specific propulsion can reduce mooring and/or anchoringrequirements thereby reducing the cost of such a farm and/or itsdeployment.

FIG. 18 shows a perspective view of three embodiments 280-282 of thecurrent disclosure that are tethered and/or moored, e.g. 295, to oneanother, thereby comprising a “farm,” and each of those devices aretethered and/or moored to an anchored mooring buoy, e.g. 286. Eachdevice is both physically moored, and directly or indirectlyelectrically interconnected, to every other device. The devices areinterconnected by means of the same type of “elastic” mooring connectorsand/or cables as are discussed in relation to FIG. 17. And, devices 280and 282, as well as devices 281 and 282, are interconnected electricallyand/or are able to share data, by means of electrical cables, e.g. 291,that are connected to, and/or supported by, their respective mooringcables.

These electrical cables comprise, create, and/or constitute, anelectrical grid within and/or across the farm. In various embodiments,these electrical cables include, but are not limited to: fiber-opticcables, LAN cables, Ethernet cables, and electrical power cables.Devices that share, and/or are interconnected with respect to,electrical power are able to share and/or distribute electrical powergenerated by their respective generators in response to wave action.Devices that share, and/or are interconnected with respect to,electrical power are also able to share electrical energy stored withinbatteries, capacitors, springs, components, features, circuits, devices,processes, and/or chemical fuel (e.g. hydrogen) generators and storagemechanisms.

At least some of the devices 280-282 contain and/or incorporatecomputing devices, computing circuits, computers, and/or computationalresources, that enable them to execute programs, e.g. arbitrary programsprovided by a remote source and/or server, sometimes executed relativeto specific bodies and/or collections of data.

Because of their interconnection by such electrical and/ordata-transmission cables, the devices 280-282 may operate within ashared “virtual” computing network, and therefore and/or thereby mayshare data, parallelize programs, shard parameter ranges, etc.

The farm illustrated in FIG. 18 is not connected to land by a subseaelectrical cable. However, the farm, and/or the devices therein, sharedata with a terrestrial data network, such as the Internet, by means ofa light-modulated data exchange system. Device 282 has a light 297 thatemits modulated light, preferably of a specific wavelength, in which themodulations encode data, and in which that data is preferably encrypted.A receiving camera 298 on land detects the modulated light transmissionsand decodes them and transmits them over a data network, such as theInternet, with a remote computer and/or server.

Likewise, a light 299 on shore emits modulated light, preferably of aspecific wavelength, in which the modulations encode data received froma remote computer and/or server, and in which that data is preferablyencrypted. A receiving camera 300 on device 282 detects the modulatedlight transmissions from land and decodes them and, when and whereappropriate, transmits them over the farm's data grid to one or bothother devices 280-281.

In some embodiments, device 282 has an antenna 297, and uses it toexchange data via radio transmissions with a station on land possessinga complementary antenna 299.

The illustrated configuration is consistent with any of the individualdevice embodiments illustrated and discussed in relation to FIGS. 1-15,even those embodiments that are self-propelled. The use ofdevice-specific propulsion can reduce mooring and/or anchoringrequirements thereby reducing the cost of such a farm and/or itsdeployment. In fact, some embodiments are similar to the one illustratedin FIG. 18 except that they do not include anchors, nor their associatedanchored mooring buoys, e.g. 285-287. Instead, farms of theseembodiments, utilize their on propulsive systems to retain theirpositions relative to one another and relative to a particular point onan adjacent land mass.

Some embodiments are similar to the one illustrated in FIG. 18 exceptthat they do not include anchors, nor their associated anchored mooringbuoys, e.g. 285-287, and they use an antenna 297 to exchange data with aterrestrial data network, such as the Internet, by means of a satellite.Farms of these embodiments, utilize their own propulsive systems tomaintain their positions relative to one another.

FIG. 19 shows a perspective view of four embodiments of the currentdisclosure floating adjacent to the surface 314 of a body of water (e.g.a sea) wherein the devices are distributed across the surface of thebody of water at such distances that only adjacent (though widelyseparated) devices are within range of one another's data exchangeand/or communication systems. However, in addition to directlycommunicating with each of its neighboring devices, each device is ableto communicate with a satellite 319.

Device 310 is able to transmit 316 and receive electromagnetictransmissions, with neighboring device 311. However, device 310 is notable to directly communicate and/or share data with devices 312 and 313.Device 310 is able to indirectly transmit data to, and receive datafrom, devices 312 and 313 by using at least device 311 to daisy-chain,and/or pass along, those transmissions.

With respect to some embodiments, and/or some deployments, devices310-313 are only able to communicate via direct communications and/orindirect, daisy-chained communications. With respect to someembodiments, and/or some deployments, devices 310-313 are only able tocommunicate with satellite 319. For example, device 310 has an antenna315 with which it can transmit 320 data to satellite 319, and from whichit can receive data transmitted 321 from the satellite. Communicationbetween devices is moderated by the intermediate satellite 319 link,and/or by a remote computer and/or server with which satellite 319 isable to communicate. And, with respect to some embodiments, and/or somedeployments, devices 310-313 are able to communicate with other devicesby either direct and/or daisy-chained, and/or satellite-mediated,communication pathways.

FIG. 20 illustrates the processes, systems, and/or functional modules,that are characteristic of some embodiments of the present invention.

A wave 330 moves an embodiment of the current disclosure, leading to agenerator's 331 generation of an alternating electrical current (AC).That AC is then rectified 332 to convert at least a portion of thatelectrical power into a variable direct electrical current (DC) which isthen used to impart energy to an energy-storage module 333, system,and/or mechanism, that may include, but is not limited to: batteries,capacitors, springs, components, features, circuits, devices, processes,and/or chemical fuel (e.g. hydrogen) generators and storage mechanisms.

At least a portion of the energy stored in energy storage module 333 isused to energize, power, and/or satisfy the electrical requirements of aplurality of computing devices 334, computing circuits, and/orcomputational resources. As a consequence of their operation, andconsumption of electrical power, the computing devices 334 generate heat335 that is passively, and/or convectively, and/or actively (e.g.through the use of fans), transmitted to the environment around and/oradjacent to the embodiment.

A radio 342, and/or data transmission system, within the embodiment,receives programs, tasks (e.g. such as might be executed by new orexisting programs loaded into the device's memory), data, instructions,messages, signals, and/or other data, originating with from a remotecomputer and/or server, that have been transmitted 343 by a satellite344. The data generated by a program, status information (e.g. relatedto pending programs, tasks, computers, energy storage, wave conditions,weather, vessel sightings, etc.), geolocation data, and/or other data,is transmitted 345 by the embodiment's radio 342, and/or datatransmission system, to the satellite, which then transmits it to aremote network, computer, and/or server.

The data received by, and/or transmitted to, the satellite 344 iscached, formatted, encrypted or decrypted, and/or managed and/ororchestrated, by an “I/O controller” 341. The I/O controller 341communicates and/or exchanges data with a “task controller” 339.

The task controller 339 is responsible for, among other things: storingnew programs and/or tasks in a “task queue” 340; determining whichpending task and/or program is of highest priority, and/or which, forany other reason, including estimated resource requirements, will benext executed; retrieving a task and/or program to be executed when acomputer (and/or the requisite number of computers) becomes available(among the computers in 334); submitting a task and/or program, alongwith any related data, to the “CPU controller” 336 in response to theCPU controller notifying the task controller 339 that one or morecomputers 334 and/or other computing resources are available and/or“free;” receiving a notification that the execution of task and/orprogram has been completed, as well as receiving the data that resultedfrom the execution of the task and/or program; and receiving anotification that the execution of task and/or program was cancelled(e.g. in response to a reduction in the amount of available energy, andthe consequent powering down of one or more computers 334); reassessingthe priority and/or updating the execution status of a task cancelled bythe CPU controller 336; and deleting a task and/or program from the taskqueue 340 when the embodiment is informed (e.g. by a transmission fromsatellite 344) that the task is no longer in need of execution (e.g.when another device has already completed the task, or the task has beencancelled by its originator).

The CPU controller 336 is responsible for, among other things: launchingthe execution of tasks and/or programs on the computers 334, and forcollecting the data resulting from their execution and transmitting itto the task controller 339, which, in turn, transmits the data to theI/O controller 341 which transmits 345 it to the satellite 344;notifying the task controller 339 that one or more computers 334 arefree and/or available to begin the execution of one or more new tasksand/or programs, and/or updating the task controller 339 as to thenumber and kind of computational resources available for the executionof new tasks and/or programs; cancelling one or more executing tasksand/or programs, and/or powering down their respective computers and/orcomputational resources, so as to reduce the amount of electrical powerbeing consumed; and, powering up, and/or initializing, dormant computersand/or computational resources when the amount of available electricalpower increases.

“Shared memory storage” 338 is comprised of a networked set of digitaldata memory devices which store, and from which may be retrieved,programs, program data, and/or other digital data. CPU controller 336uses the shared memory storage in order to configure, initialize, andexecute, programs and/or tasks, and to store data generated by programsand/or tasks during their execution.

The “energy manager” 346 monitors that rate at which electrical power isbeing generated, and the amount of electrical energy that is availablefrom the energy storage module 333. When the amount of electrical energyand/or power changes, the energy manager 346 so notifies the CPUcontroller 336 which may respond to the change by, among other things,increasing or reducing the number operational computers and/or computingresources. Note that “ASICs” can replace “CPUs” throughout the presentfigure description.

In some embodiments, the energy manager turns on and off certain CPUswithin the timespan of a single wave period, e.g. within the span of 15seconds.

The task controller 339 may select a task from among the set ofavailable pending tasks on the basis of many factors, and/or thelikelihood that any particular pending task will be selected forexecution can be influenced by many factors, including, but not limitedto: any relative priority specified at the time of the task's receipt bythe embodiment (such priority may have been the result of many factors,including, but not limited to: the priority assigned by a remotecomputer and/or server on the basis of the degree to which the priceoffered for the task's execution by a client included a premium); theamount and/or type of computational resources that will be required forthe execution of the task, and the degree to which those computationalresources are available, and/or the relative priority of other tasks incombination with the degree to which those other tasks require similarresources; and the likelihood that another device will complete theexecution the task before its execution can be completed on the presentdevice, for example, a task that has been pending for a relatively longtime, i.e. a task that has suffered a long delay before its executionhas even begun, may be less likely to be completed before a signal isreceived indicating the task has been completed elsewhere and should becancelled before its execution is complete.

FIG. 21 illustrates the processes and/or events that are characteristicof a “task administration system” and the issuance of programs and/ortasks to embodiments of the current disclosure, and the receipt andpost-execution processing of the results of the completed programsand/or tasks.

A task administration system receives 350 from a client (e.g. a personwishing to have a program and/or task executed) a program and/or taskand any related data from a transmission communicated across and/orthrough a data-sharing network 351, such as the Internet. The taskadministration system 352 transmits 354 the program and/or task and anyrelated data, preferably after encrypting it, via a transceiver 353,and/or data communication system, to a satellite 355 which then,directly and/or indirectly transmits it to one or more embodiments ofthe present invention.

After the “result data” related to, and/or created as a consequence of,the completion of the program and/or task's execution, is returned by anembodiment of the current disclosure directly and/or indirectly tosatellite 355, the satellite 355 transmits 356 the result data to thetransceiver 353, and/or data communication system. The result data 357is received (and possibly decrypted) by the task administration system.The task administration system then 359 transmits the result data to theclient, via the data communication system 351. And, hopefully, 360payment is received from the client.

When the result data is received, and preferably validated, by the taskadministration system, the system transmits 354, via the transceiver353, a signal to all of the embodiments of the current disclosure thatreceived the program and/or task, which will prompt them to delete theprogram and/or task from their task queues.

FIG. 22 illustrates the processes and/or events that are characteristicof some embodiments of the present invention. A satellite 370 transmits371 a data packet to a transceiver 372, and/or data communicationsystem, on an embodiment of the present invention. The embodiment 373receives, validates, and possibly decrypts, the “task data” encodedwithin the data packet. If the task data 374 specifies a new programand/or task, and any related data, then 374 the embodiment 375 adds thenew task and its related data (if any) to its task queue 376.

When 377 there is an available CPU, computer, and/or sufficientavailable computing resources, then 378 a pending task is identifiedand/or selected, and its execution is started on the available CPU 380.A “timeout” value 379 is associated with the selected pending task inthe task queue 376. This timeout value represents a future time afterwhich it will be reasonable for the embodiment to assume that the task'sexecution has failed, and its, presumably frozen and/or failedexecution, should be stopped and its respective CPU(s), and/orcomputer(s), should be re-initialized and used to execute a new (and/orthe same failed) task.

When 382 the execution of a task is complete, then the data generated bythe task during its execution 373 is transmitted 384, via thetransceiver 372 to a satellite 370, where the task-generated data willbe processed by a remote computer and/or server. Contemporaneously withthe transmission of the task-generated data to the satellite, 385 thestatus of the CPU(s) and/or computer(s) that executed and/or completedthe task are changed to “available” and ready for the execution of a newtask [related to the 377 evaluation of the evaluation of the statuses ofthe CPUs and/or computers 380.

The remote computer and/or server that receives the task-generated datais responsible for transmitting a signal to this embodiment, and anyother embodiments to which the same task was transmitted, that the taskis now complete. When the satellite 370 transmits 371 to theembodiment's transceiver 372, and/or data communication system, theembodiment 373 receives, validates, and possibly decrypts, the “taskdata” encoded within the data packet. If the task data specifies 386that a task is complete, then 387 the task is removed from theembodiment's task queue 376.

The amount of electrical energy available on the embodiment is 388continually and/or periodically determined. When the amount of availableelectrical energy changes (e.g. by a threshold amount) then 389 thenumber of CPUs and/or computer(s) whose operation can be powered isdetermined. If the amount of available electrical energy has increasedthen 390 an appropriate number of dormant and/or unpowered CPUs and/orcomputer(s) are started, initialized, and made ready for the executionof tasks. If the amount of available electrical energy has decreasedthen 390 an appropriate number of active and/or operational CPUs and/orcomputer(s) are stopped, and made dormant, in order to reduce the amountof energy being consumed by computational activities.

When a task is selected, from among the set of available pending tasks,to be executed on an available CPU and/or computer, the determination asto which task to select may be made on the basis of many factors, and/orthe likelihood that any particular pending task will be selected forexecution can be influenced by many factors, including, but not limitedto: any relative priority specified at the time of the task's receipt bythe embodiment (such priority may have been the result of many factors,including, but not limited to: the priority assigned by a remotecomputer and/or server on the basis of the degree to which the priceoffered for the task's execution by a client included a premium); theamount and/or type of computational resources that will be required forthe execution of the task, and the degree to which those computationalresources are available, and/or the relative priority of other tasks incombination with the degree to which those other tasks require similarresources; and the likelihood that another device will complete theexecution the task before its execution can be completed on the presentdevice, for example, a task that has been pending for a relatively longtime, i.e. a task that has suffered a long delay before its executionhas even begun, may be less likely to be completed before a signal isreceived indicating the task has been completed elsewhere and should becancelled before its execution is complete.

FIG. 23 shows an illustration of an embodiment of the present invention.An embodiment 400 of the current disclosure generates electrical powerwhen wave motion at the surface 401 of the body of water on which thebuoy floats, moves the embodiment and its connected submergedpower-generation mechanism 402.

The embodiment can (but need not) store at least a portion of theelectrical power that it generates within optional internal energystorage devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors, springs, components,features, circuits, devices, processes, and/or chemical fuel (e.g.hydrogen) generators and storage mechanisms.

The embodiment can use at least a portion of that stored electricalenergy, and/or of its dynamically-generated electrical power, toenergize a camera 413 that monitors the sky in order to detect, andcharacterize, overflying aircraft, e.g. 416. When it detects anaircraft, it reports 418 to a satellite 419, via transceiver 417, thedetection and any characterizing data (e.g. altitude, direction andspeed) to a remote computer and/or server.

The embodiment can use at least a portion of that stored electricalenergy, and/or of its dynamically-generated electrical power, toenergize a radar system 414 that monitors the sky in order to detect,and characterize, radar signals reflected 415 from overflying aircraft,e.g. 416. When it detects an aircraft, it reports 418 to a satellite419, via transceiver 417, the detection and any characterizing data(e.g. altitude, direction and speed) to a remote computer and/or server.

The embodiment 400 is connected by a mooring cable, in combination withan electrical and data cable 403, to a secondary buoy 404 from whichdepends a mooring cable 405 at the deep end of which is attached aweight 406 and a hydrophone 410. The hydrophone can detect ambientnoises from within the body of water 401, which might include sounds 411from submarines 412.

When the embodiment's hydrophone detects a submarine, or other submergedvessel, it reports 418 to a satellite 419, via transceiver 417, thedetection and any characterizing data (e.g. audio signature, depth,direction and speed) to a remote computer and/or server. Or, theembodiment relays unprocessed acoustic signals directly to the satellitefor processing.

The embodiment 400 is able to receive encrypted data transmitted 420from a satellite, and originating from a remote computer and/or server,which it can cache and/or store in digital memory components (e.g.static RAM), devices, and/or systems.

From the secondary buoy 404 depends both a mooring cable 405 and anelectrical power and data communication (e.g. network) cable 407, i.e.an “umbilical cable.” Submerged vessels, e.g. 409, are able to connectto the submerged mooring cable 405, as well as connect (at 408) to thesubmerged electrical power and data transmission (e.g. network) cable407. When a submerged vessel 409, e.g. an autonomous underwater vessel,connects to the umbilical cable it is able to recharge its energystorage devices. It is also able to download encrypted data stored inthe onboard memory of the embodiment 400. In some embodiments, thesubmerged vessel docks to a chute, indentation, hub, or other similarmooring attachment of the embodiment.

Following its connection to the umbilical cable, a submerged and/orautonomous vessel 409 is able to exchange data with a remote computerand/or server, e.g. to receive commands, geospatial locations and/ormaps, situational awareness data, etc.

Some embodiments of the device 400 use at least a portion of theirstored electrical energy, and/or of its dynamically-generated electricalpower, to energize a listening device 414 that listens forelectromagnetic transmissions, such as those that might be emitted 415by overflying aircraft 416. When the listening device detects anaircraft, it reports 418 to a satellite 419, via transceiver 417, thedetection and any characterizing data (e.g. altitude, direction andspeed) to a remote computer and/or server. Some embodiments of thedevice 400 will not have, nor need, a weight 406 at the end of themooring cable 405. For instance, if mooring cable 405 is a chain, itsown weight will be sufficient to stabilize its orientation, i.e.vertically beneath secondary buoy 404.

As aforementioned, in some embodiments, a power regulation circuitdirects power to computing circuits to (perform computational tasks)during normal operation and redirects power to charge a drone when,occasionally, a drone is present. In some embodiments, a powerregulation circuit directs power to computing circuits to (performcomputational tasks) during normal operation and redirects power tosensors (such as radar, sonar, etc.) when directed to do so by a remotecontrol signal. In some embodiments, a power regulation circuit directspower to computing circuits to (perform computational tasks) duringnormal operation and redirects power to sensors (such as radar, sonar,etc.) when the acoustic signature of a nearby vessel (such as asubmarine) is detected.

FIG. 24 illustrates a simplified representative flow chart thatdescribes in approximate terms one process by which one or moreembodiments of the present disclosure might be used to execute acustomer-specified, arbitrary computational task. A company,corporation, and/or organization, uses an embodiment of the presentdisclosure to provide “computation as a service” for which its customerspay a fee.

A customer 430 of the company uses a proprietary computational device431 to interact with a company server 432 by exchanging data, files,and/or messages 433 through a data network 434 (e.g., the Internet).Server 432 sends a program or formatted block of data (e.g., HTML) 433to the customer's computer 431 which renders a user interface within abrowser running on the customer's computer. The customer interacts withthat user interface so as to formulate a structured data set 433 that istransmitted to the server 432, and which may contain including, but notlimited to: the program (or an identifier or URL through which theprogram to be executed on behalf of the customer may be found andobtained by the server), the data (if any) which will initialize theprogram, the number of times the program is to be executed, the maximumamount of time which the customer is willing to wait for the results(e.g., the “deadline”), the “resolution” of the analysis and/or theresults (e.g., how many vertices to use in a finite-element analysis ofa structure), the format of the result data (e.g., JPEG for a resultcomprising images), etc.

The server 432 packages the “task specification (T)” 435 which ittransmits to a “task manager” 436/437. The task manager 436 maintains adatabase (and/or other data structure) that may include, but is notlimited to: which tasks are “completed,” which tasks are currently“executing,” and which tasks are currently “pending tasks” (i.e., taskswaiting to be executed). The task manager 436 also maintains a “deviceconfiguration graph” 438 which specifies which embodiments are withincommunications range of a particular communications node (e.g., of aland-based station “S”).

The link between each pair of embodiments (i.e., devices) and/orintermediate communications nodes (e.g., ground stations, satellites,aerial drones, surface water drones, underwater drones, etc.) may alsospecify attributes of the channel by and/or through which those twonodes are connected, which may include, but are not limited to: thecharacteristic latency of the channel, the bandwidth (e.g., bits persecond), the cost (e.g., satellites tend to be more expensive channelsthan radio), etc.

In the illustrated task manager's 437 device configuration graph 438 ofFIG. 24, the exchange of data between the shore-based station “S” 438and device “6” 439 is accomplished through the intermediarycommunications node provided by device “7” 440. The exchange of databetween shore-based station “S” 438 and device “8” 441 is achieve byand/or through intermediary device “7” 440. And, the exchange of databetween shore-based station “S” 438 and device “12” 442 is achieved byand/or through five intermediary device, e.g., device “8” 441.

The task manager's 436 database 437 and/or graph also maintains anupdated record of which computational capabilities, components,elements, circuits, and/or modules are possessed by, and/or incorporatedwithin, each of the embodiments, as well as which of each embodiment'scomputational components, elements, circuits, and/or modules, arecurrently executing tasks (and therefore unavailable to process new or“pending” tasks), and their estimated times of task completion.

Periodically, e.g., every 10 milliseconds, the task manager 436 checks443 for new tasks, e.g., 435, and adds them to the queue of “pendingtasks,” as well as determining which “executing” tasks have completed,updating the availability of embodiment-specific computational modulesat the same time.

Upon receiving a new task, e.g., task “T” 435, and periodicallythereafter, task manager 436 checks to see if the required computationalcapabilities are available among those embodiments within communicationsrange. It may also weigh the “urgency” of the task (in which it mayelect to wait for more capable computational capabilities, and/or thosewith reduced communications latencies), and/or whether or not a “premiumprice” was paid for the task's completion. When a suitable embodiment,or combination of embodiments, are found (e.g., that possess suitableand available computational capabilities), then the task is partitionedinto inter-related component tasks that may be executed with at leastsome degree of independence and the results of which may be combined(e.g., “map-reduced”) when the component results are ready.

With respect to task “T,” task manager 436 formulates and sends to theground station three task specifications: 1) one 444 to be executed bycomputational equipment at the shore-based facility; 2) one 445 to beexecuted by device “1;” and one 446 to be executed by device “5.” Thetask manager 436 transmits these three task specifications 444-446 to acomputing device 447 through a network 448, and/or communicationschannel, that may include LAN cables, fiber optic cables, phone lines,radio channels, satellites, etc.

The receiving computer 447 at the ground station forwards task 445 todevice “1” 449 via radio transmitter 450 (i.e., device “1” is withinrange of the shore-based station's radio transmitter, so it is used totransmit task 445 to that device).

The receiving computer 447 at the ground station forwards task 446 tosatellite 451, which forwards that task to device “5” 452 (i.e., device“5” is not within range of the shore-based station's radio transmitter,so a satellite is used to relay that task to device “5”).

After receiving tasks 445 and 446, devices“1” and “5,” respectively,load them onto the computational resource(s) specified in the respectivetask descriptions and execute those tasks.

Tasks may be transmitted to, and/or relayed by, intermediate drones,devices, and/or other communication channels and/or nodes ascircumstances permit.

After transmitting tasks 444-446, task manager 436 updates 453 the tasklists within its database 437 to show that task “T” is now “executing.”

FIG. 25 illustrates a continuation of the same simplified representativeflow chart that is illustrated and discussed in relation to FIG. 24.

Embodiments (i.e., devices) “1” 449 and “5” 452 complete the executionof their respective portions of the task “T” described in relation toFIG. 24.

Device “1” transmits the result 455 of its sub-task to the radioreceiver 450 of the shore-based station. Device “5” transmits the result456 of its sub-task to an aerial drone 457 that is close enough to bewithin range. That drone 457 stores the result 456 until it passeswithin range of a surface boat drone 458 after which it transmits theresult 456 to that water-borne drone 458. The water-borne drone 458stores the result 456 until it passes within range of another device(e.g., device “7”) 459 at which time it transmits the result 456 to thatdevice which immediately transmits it to a satellite 451 which forwardsit to the radio receiver 450 of the ground station.

Radio receiver 450 transmits the sub-task results 455 and 456 to acomputing device 447 of the ground station which then uses its own taskspecification (i.e., task 444 of FIG. 24) to guide its merging and/orprocessing of the sub-task results 455 and 456 so as to produce a final,comprehensive task result 460, which it transmits to task manager 436,via a network 448 (e.g., the Internet).

When task manager executes 443 an update of its task lists andassociated graphs, it moves 461 task “T” from the “executing” list tothe “completed” list. At the same time it updates its device nodes toshow that the computational resources used to complete the task are onceagain available to contribute to the execution of one or more new tasks.

Task manager 436 transmits the customer-specific version 463 of thecomprehensive task result 460 to the customer 430 via the internet 434and the customer's computing device 431. Similarly, a bill or invoice isformulated by a billing module 462 and the bill is issued to the partyresponsible for the payment for the task, e.g., the customer 430, and/orthe requisite amount is charged to a pre-specified credit card or debitaccount, or other source and/or provider of funds.

FIG. 26 shows an illustration of an alternate embodiment of the presentinvention. An embodiment 480 of the current disclosure floats adjacentto an upper surface 481 of a body of water. This embodiment incorporatesan oscillating water column (OWC) in which water driven by wave motionenters and exits 482 the embodiment through a pair of apertures, e.g.,483. Water that flows into the apertures 483 causes the level of waterwithin a chamber inside the embodiment to rise thereby expelling airfrom that chamber. Air is expelled through a turbine 484. Water thatflows out of the apertures 483 causes the level of water within thechamber inside the embodiment to fall, thereby drawing air into thechamber through the turbine 484. Air-driven turning of the turbine 484energizes an electrical generator thereby providing the embodiment withelectrical power.

The embodiment incorporates two buoyant blocks 485 and 486 which providethe embodiment with sufficient buoyancy to cause it to float adjacent tothe surface 481 of a body of water. The embodiment incorporates a set ofcomputing devices within a computing module 487. The computing devicesare powered with electrical energy generated by the generator driven bythe turbine 484. The computing devices execute computational tasksreceived from a satellite 488. The electromagnetic transmissions 489 bywhich the satellite communicates computing tasks to the embodiment arereceived by a phased array of dipole antennas, e.g., 490, attached to anupper deck of the embodiment 480. The results of completed computationaltasks are transmitted 491 by the phased array 490 to the satellite 488.A module 492 containing accelerometers and gyroscopes providespositional information to a phase-control module (not shown). Theembodiment's phase-control module adjusts the phase relationships of thesignals transmitted to, and/or received from, the various dipoleantennas within the phased array so as to optimize the phased array'sgain, directionality, and/or beamwidth, with respect to a target and/ora source of transmission. The accelerometers facilitate adjustments tothe relative phases of signals sent to, and/or received from, theantennas within the phased array in order to correct, and/or maintain,the orientation of a major lobe of the phased array's beam.

An embodiment similar to the one illustrated in FIG. 26 has antennasattached to side surfaces of a portion of the embodiment that istypically above the embodiment's waterline. These antennas constitute aphased array used to efficiently exchange electromagnetic signals withreceiving and/or transmitting antennas located on land, on drones, onpiloted aircraft, etc. FIG. 27 shows an illustration of a top-down viewof the same embodiment of FIG. 26.

FIG. 28 shows an illustration of a side sectional view of the sameembodiment of the current disclosure illustrated in FIGS. 26 and 27. Thesection is taken along line 28-28 specified in FIG. 27. As water flows482 in and out of a submerged channel 483 within the embodiment 480,wherein said channel is connected to its internal air and water chamber493, the surface 494 of the water within the chamber 493 moves 495 upand down. The wave-driven oscillations in the surface 494 of the waterwithin the chamber 493 causes the air within the chamber 493 to berespectively expelled and inhaled through an air turbine 484. Theturning of the air turbine in response to the wave-driven passage of airthrough its blades turns a shaft 496 that turns the rotor of a generator497 thereby generating electrical power.

At least a portion of the electrical energy generated by the wave-drivengenerator 497 is used to power a network of computers, e.g., 498,compartmentalized within a container 487, one wall 499 of which is incontact with the water and/or air within the embodiment's air chamber493. At least a portion of the heat generated by the computers, e.g.,498, within the computing module 487, is dissipated passively andconvectively through wall 499 into the air water on the other side.

FIG. 29 shows an illustration of a side perspective view of anembodiment of the present invention. An embodiment 520 of the currentdisclosure floats adjacent to an upper surface 521 of a body of water.This embodiment incorporates an oscillating water column (OWC) in whichwater driven by wave motion enters and exits 522 the embodiment throughan opening in the bottom 523 of a tube 524. Water that flows into thebottom 523 of the tube 524 causes the level of water within anair-filled pocket located at the top 525 of the tube, to rise therebyexpelling 526 air from the air pocket out through a constricted duct 527and an air turbine (not shown) therein. The spinning of the air turbinespins the rotor of a generator and generates electrical power. Likewise,water that flows out of the bottom 523 of the tube 524 causes the levelof water within an air-filled pocket located at the top 525 of the tubeto fall thereby drawing in 526 air from the atmosphere and into the airpocket. Air is drawn into the air pocket through the constricted duct527 and the air turbine therein, again resulting in the generation ofelectrical power.

The embodiment possesses a set of flaps, e.g., 528, which resist theheave motion of the waves that pass and/or impinge upon the embodiment520. Because the embodiment utilizes a buoy, and/or buoyant portion, 524that is of relatively small diameter, and relatively great depth, thebuoyant forces affecting the vertical position of the embodiment do notchange significantly with the changes in water height associated withwave heave. This means that the vertical position of the embodiment isrelatively stable, and that wave heave tends to significantly alter thewaterline and draft of the embodiment, without significantly alteringits height above the seafloor. Therefore, the flaps, e.g., 528, tend tobe driven up and down by wave heave, and by adjusting the degree towhich those flaps resist that heave motion of the water, and, inconjunction with a rudder (not visible), the embodiment is able topropel itself in a controlled fashion.

The embodiment incorporates a set of computing devices within acomputing module 529. The computing devices are powered with electricalenergy generated by the generator driven by the turbine positionedwithin the constricted duct 527. Heat generated by the computers withinthe module 529 is convectively dissipated into the air surrounding theembodiment 520.

The computing devices execute computational tasks received from asatellite 530. The electromagnetic transmissions 531 by which thesatellite communicates computing tasks to the embodiment are received bya phased array of dipole antennas, e.g., 532, attached in a radialfashion, extending laterally outward, from the periphery of theembodiment's buoyant portion 533.

The results of completed computational tasks are transmitted 534 by thephased array 532 to the satellite 530. A module (not shown) containingaccelerometers and gyroscopes provides positional information to aphase-control module (not shown). The embodiment's phase-control moduleadjusts the phase relationships of the signals transmitted to, and/orreceived from, the various dipole antennas within the phased array so asto optimize the phased array's gain, directionality, and/or beamwidth,with respect to a target and/or a source of transmission. Theaccelerometers facilitate adjustments to the relative phases of signalssent to, and/or received from, the antennas within the phased array inorder to correct, and/or maintain, the orientation of a major lobe ofthe phased array's beam with respect to the satellite's relativeposition and/or orientation.

FIG. 30 shows an illustration of a side perspective view of anembodiment of the present invention. An embodiment 550 of the currentdisclosure floats adjacent to an upper surface of a body of water. Thisembodiment incorporates a submerged constricted tube 551 through whichwater flows 552 in and out through upper 553 and lower 554 mouths, andtherefore through which water flows up and down within the tube, inresponse to vertical heave-induced oscillations of the device. Thesubmerged tube 551 is rigidly connected to a buoy by struts, e.g., 555,so that the entire rigid embodiment moves up and down in response topassing waves. A hydrokinetic turbine positioned within the constrictedportion of the tube is turned in response to the flow of watertherethrough, and a connected generator generates electrical powertherefrom, which powers computers.

The embodiment incorporates a network of computers (not shown) that arepowered with electrical energy generated by the turbine and generatepositioned within the submerged tube 551. The embodiment receivescomputational tasks from a satellite (not shown), and transmitscomputational results to a satellite (not shown). The electromagnetictransmissions between the embodiment and a satellite are facilitated bya phased array antenna 556 attached to an upper deck 557 of theembodiment's buoy 550.

The rigidly attached submerged tube has a relatively significantcross-section and drag with respect to lateral movements. Therefore,because of its drag-mediated resistance to lateral movements, and itsinherent weight and associated torque on the embodiment, the submergedtube of this embodiment helps to stabilize the deck of the buoy and tomaintain its orientation normal to the vertical, e.g., where one mightexpect to find a satellite.

Other embodiments likewise include a tubular structure extendingdownward into the water, which stabilizes the buoy in pitch and roll. Insome embodiments, relative water movement within said tube (caused bydevice movement due to wave heave) compresses a pocket of air at the topportion of said tube, driving said air through an air turbine andthereby driving a generator. In all such embodiments—regardless ofwhether a water turbine within the tube or an air turbine above the tubeis the source of mechanical power—the tube acts as a stabilizer in pitchand roll, enabling the phased array of antennas to track a satellitewith greater effectiveness. FIG. 31 shows a side perspective view of theembodiment of FIG. 30. The embodiment 550 of the current disclosurefloats adjacent to an upper surface 558 of a body of water.

FIG. 32 shows an illustration of a side view of the same embodiment ofthe current disclosure illustrated in FIGS. 30 and 31. The embodiment550 receives computational tasks from, and transmits computationalresults to, a satellite 559. The electromagnetic signals 560 transmittedfrom the satellite 559 to the embodiment, and the electromagneticsignals 561 transmitted from the embodiment 550 to the satellite 559,are respectively received by, and transmitted from, a phased array ofantennas, e.g., 556. Through the control of the relative phase of thesignals received by, and/or transmitted from, each antenna within thearray, the lobe of the phase array's maximum sensitivity and/or gain canbe controlled, and the signal-to-noise ratio achievable with respect toa given signal power can be maximized.

Embodiments similar to the one illustrated in FIGS. 30-32 utilizemechanisms, devices, systems, and technologies, that allow theembodiment to speed its adjustment and/or correction to changes in theorientation of the embodiment and/or to the position of the satellite.Such mechanisms, devices, systems, and technologies, include, but arenot limited to: accelerometers, gyroscopes, and cameras that monitor therelative position of the horizon, planetary bodies, and/or otheradvantageous points of reference.

While a number of embodiments have been depicted and described herein,the present invention is not strictly limited to those embodiments. Aperson of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize andappreciate that a myriad of modifications, substitutions, andcombinations would be available, and the scope of the present inventionis intended to include all such modifications, substitutions, andcombinations of the foregoing. Accordingly, the scope of the inventionunless expressly limited herein is properly governed by the words of theappended claims, using their customary and ordinary meanings consistentwith the descriptions and depictions herein.

We claim:
 1. A single-body fluidic computational task processingapparatus, comprising: a buoyant vessel having an upper deck surface, afluid conduit having a lower tubular portion fixedly positioned beneaththe upper deck surface and a constricting section with a cross-sectionalarea that decreases in a direction away from the lower aperture andtoward the upper deck surface; a fluid turbine, a power-take-off, aplurality of computers fixedly positioned relative to the fluid conduit,and a first propulsive system; said fluid conduit having a loweraperture at a distal end of the lower tubular portion of the fluidconduit through which water may flow into and out of the fluid conduit;said lower tubular portion adapted to have a submerged and approximatelyvertical orientation when the buoyant vessel floats adjacent to an uppersurface of a body of water; said fluid turbine rotating in response tofluid flowing in the fluid conduit; said power-take-off beingoperatively connected to the fluid turbine such that the power-take-offproduces electrical power in response to rotation of the fluid turbine;said plurality of computers being energized by electrical power producedby the power-take-off; said plurality of computers executingcomputational tasks specified by encoded signals received by theapparatus; said plurality of computers configured to producecomputational results by the execution of computational tasks specifiedby encoded signals received by the apparatus; and said propulsive systemconfigured to move the apparatus across the surface of the body ofwater; wherein the apparatus receives, via encoded signals,computational tasks from a remote transmission antenna; and wherein theapparatus transmits, via encoded signals, computational results to aremote receiving antenna.
 2. The single-body fluidic computational taskprocessing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first propulsive systemincludes a propeller.
 3. The single-body fluidic computational taskprocessing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first propulsive systemincludes a water jet.
 4. The single-body fluidic computational taskprocessing apparatus of claim 1, further including a second propulsivesystem.
 5. The single-body fluidic computational task processingapparatus of claim 4, wherein the first and second propulsive systemsinclude water jets.
 6. The single-body fluidic computational taskprocessing apparatus of claim 1, wherein a portion of the fluid conduitis adapted to entrain pressurized gas to drive fluid through the fluidturbine.
 7. The single-body fluidic computational task processingapparatus of claim 1, further comprising a heat sink communicating heatfrom the plurality of computers to at least one of a wall of the fluidconduit and water flowing in the fluid conduit.
 8. A fluidiccomputational task processing system, comprising: a mobile fluidictask-processing float having an upper deck surface, an fluid conduit, afluid turbine, a power-take-off assembly, a plurality of computers, alocal data reception antenna, a local data transmission antenna, and afirst propulsive system, said mobile fluidic task-processing floatconfigured to drift buoyantly on a surface of water; said fluid conduitincluding first and second openings adapted to allow fluid to flowbetween an exterior of the mobile fluidic task-processing float and aninterior of the fluid conduit; said fluid conduit further including alower hollow tubular portion disposed below the upper deck surface; saidfluid conduit further including an upwardly converging section, saidupwardly converging section tapering the fluid conduit relative to anapproximately upward direction of fluid flow in the fluid conduit; saidfluid turbine positioned in the fluid conduit and configured to rotatein response to fluid flow in the fluid conduit; said power-take-offassembly adapted to generate electricity in response to rotation of thefluid turbine to energize the plurality of computers; said local datareception antenna adapted to receive encoded input data and relayreceived input data to the plurality of computers; said plurality ofcomputers adapted to process received input data and relay output dataderived from received input data to the local data transmission antenna;and said local data transmission antenna adapted to transmit encodedoutput data; wherein the mobile fluidic task-processing float is adaptedto generate fluid flow in the fluid conduit and energize the pluralityof computers when oscillating in a body of water traversed by waves. 9.The fluidic computational task processing system of claim 8, wherein theupwardly converging section defines an upward-pointing fluid nozzleadapted to accelerate fluid upwardly in the converging section to impelfluid to the fluid turbine.
 10. The fluidic computationaltask-processing system of claim 8, wherein a lower horizontalcross-section of the upwardly converging section has greater area thanan upper horizontal cross-section of the upwardly converging section.11. The fluidic computational task processing system of claim 8, whereinthe upwardly converging section is adapted to pressurize water in thefluid conduit to impel water to the fluid turbine.
 12. The fluidiccomputational task processing system of claim 8, wherein the fluidconduit includes an extended tubular duct depending from the hullenclosure and wherein the first opening is at a bottommost portion ofthe extended tubular duct.
 13. The computational task processing systemof claim 8, wherein the local transmission antenna and the localreception antenna are the same antenna.
 14. The computational taskprocessing system of claim 8, wherein one of the local transmissionantenna and the local reception antenna is a phased-array antenna. 15.The fluidic computational task processing system of claim 8, furthercomprising a remote data transmission antenna, a remote datatransmission computer, a remote data reception antenna, and a remotedata reception computer.
 16. The fluidic computational task processingsystem of claim 15, wherein the remote data transmission computertransmits an input data packet to the plurality of computers via theremote data transmission antenna and the local data reception antenna;wherein the plurality of computers computes an output data packet usingdata of the input data packet; and wherein the plurality of computerstransmits the output data packet to the remote data reception computervia the local data transmission antenna and the remote data receptionantenna.
 17. The computational task processing system of claim 15,wherein the remote data transmission antenna and the remote datareception antenna are the same antenna.
 18. The computational taskprocessing system of claim 15, wherein the remote data receptioncomputer and the remote data transmission computer are the samecomputer.
 19. The computational task processing system of claim 8,wherein the fluid turbine is a Kaplan turbine.
 20. The computationaltask processing system of claim 8, wherein the power-take-off assemblyincludes an electrical generator operatively coupled to the fluidturbine.
 21. The computational task processing system of claim 8,wherein the power-take-off assembly includes an energy storage device.22. The computational task processing system of claim 21, wherein theenergy storage device is a battery.
 23. The computational taskprocessing system of claim 8, wherein the computational task processingsystem derives one of a neural network, a machine learning model, anartificially intelligent system, a cryptocurrency hash value, and amathematical model consistent with a set of data values, from receivedinput data.
 24. The computational task processing system of claim 8,wherein the power-take-off assembly is fixedly attached to the hullenclosure.
 25. The computational task processing system of claim 8,wherein the fluid turbine is rotatably attached to the hull enclosure.26. The computational task-processing system of claim 8, wherein thefirst propulsive system is a propeller.
 27. The computationaltask-processing system of claim 8, wherein the first propulsive systemis a water jet.
 28. The computational task-processing system of claim 8,wherein the first propulsive system is a rigid sail.
 29. Thecomputational task-processing system of claim 8, further comprising asecond propulsive system and a steering control system configured tocontrol relative thrusts of the first propulsive system and the secondpropulsive system.
 30. The computational task-processing system of claim8, wherein the turbine is positioned downstream of the upwardlyconverging section with respect to an upward direction of fluid flow inthe upwardly converging section.
 31. The computational task-processingsystem of claim 30, wherein the turbine is positioned above the upwardlyconverging section.
 32. The computational task-processing system ofclaim 30, wherein the turbine is positioned at a vertical level includedbetween a first horizontal plane defined by the top of the upwardlyconverging section and a second horizontal plane defined by the bottomof the upwardly converging section.
 33. The computationaltask-processing system of claim 30, wherein the fluid conduit includes abend.
 34. The computational task-processing system of claim 8, whereinthe fluid turbine is positioned in a portion of the fluid conduit towhich fluid is impelled from the upwardly converging section.
 35. Thecomputational task-processing system of claim 8, further comprising aheat sink communicating heat from the plurality of computers to one of awall of the fluid conduit and water flowing in the fluid conduit. 36.The computational task-processing system of claim 8, wherein a portionof the fluid conduit is adapted to entrain pressurized gas to drivefluid to the fluid turbine.
 37. A hydraulic computational taskprocessing system, comprising: A wave-to-computation converter includinga hull configured to provide buoyancy in a body of water, a hollowinertial water tube depending from the hull and having a lower mouthopen to the body of water, an upwardly tapering fluid-pressurizationduct in fluid communication with the inertial water tube, a fluidconduit adapted to be fed by the upwardly tapering fluid-pressurizationduct, a turbine runner positioned in the fluid conduit and configured tobe turned by fluid pressurized by the upwardly taperingfluid-pressurization duct, an electrical generator configured to beenergized by rotation of the turbine runner, a computer enclosure, aplurality of computers housed in the computer enclosure, and a localdata antenna; and a remote data antenna; wherein the wave-to-computationconverter is adapted to oscillate vertically and generate pressurizedfluid flow in the fluid conduit when excited by waves in the body ofwater; wherein the plurality of computers is adapted to be energized byelectricity yielded by the electrical generator in response to rotationof the turbine runner; and wherein the wave-to-computation converter isadapted to receive an electromagnetic encoding of data via the localdata antenna, compute a functional result of received data using theplurality of computers, and transmit an electromagnetic encoding of saidfunctional result to the remote data antenna.
 38. The computationaltask-processing system of claim 37, further comprising a heat sinkcommunicating heat from the plurality of computers to one of a wall ofthe fluid conduit and water flowing in the fluid conduit.
 39. Thecomputational task-processing system of claim 37, further comprising apropulsion system configured to propel the wave-to-computation converterin water.
 40. An antenna-stabilizing buoyant computing cluster,comprising: a hull having an upper deck surface; a propulsive system torelocate the antenna-stabilizing buoyant computing cluster; a hollowtubular structure rigidly depending from the hull and having a bottommouth in fluid communication with an interior channel of the hollowtubular structure; an upwardly tapering fluid pressurizationconstriction in fluid communication with the interior channel of thehollow tubular structure; a fluid conduit fed by the upwardly taperingfluid pressurization constriction; a fluid-power-take-off apparatus fedby the fluid conduit; a plurality of computers affixed to one of thehull and the hollow tubular structure; an elevated antenna rigidlyaffixed to the upper deck surface and in electrical communication withthe plurality of computers; wherein the antenna-stabilizing buoyantcomputing cluster is configured to float in a body of water with theupper deck surface and the elevated antenna raised above an uppersurface of the body of water; wherein the upwardly tapering fluidpressurization constriction impels fluid to the fluid conduit when theantenna-stabilizing buoyant computing cluster oscillates in waves; andwherein the fluid-power-take-off apparatus energizes the plurality ofcomputers when actuated by fluid impelled to the fluid conduit.
 41. Theantenna-stabilizing buoyant computing cluster of claim 40, wherein theupper deck surface is a solid metal deck.
 42. The antenna-stabilizingbuoyant computing cluster of claim 40, wherein the hollow tubularstructure defines a cylindrical projection including a central region ofthe upper deck surface and portion of the elevated antenna is rigidlyaffixed to the upper deck surface within the cylindrical projection. 43.The antenna-stabilizing buoyant computing cluster claim 40, furthercomprising a heat sink communicating heat from the plurality ofcomputers to one of a wall of the fluid conduit and water flowing in thefluid conduit.
 44. A single-body fluidic computational task processingapparatus, comprising: a fluid conduit having upper and lower sections;a hydrodynamic lifting hull fixedly attached to the fluid conduit, andsurrounding an upper portion of the fluid conduit and from which dependsa lower portion of the fluid conduit; a power-take-off fixedlypositioned relative to the hydrodynamic lifting hull; a fluid turbinerotatably attached to the hydrodynamic lifting hull, and operablyconnected to the power take off; a plurality of computers fixedlyattached to the hydrodynamic lifting hull; and a first propulsive systemfixedly positioned relative to the hydrodynamic lifting hull; saidhydrodynamic lifting hull adapted to float adjacent to an upper surfaceof a body of water over which waves pass; said lower portion of thefluid conduit having a tubular portion adapted to be submerged andhaving an approximately vertical orientation when the apparatus floatsadjacent to the upper surface of the body of water; said lower portionof the fluid conduit further having an aperture through which water mayflow into and out of the fluid conduit; said fluid conduit furtherhaving a constricting section whose cross-sectional area decreases withrespect to fluid flowing in the fluid conduit in a direction away fromthe aperture and toward the upper portion of the fluid conduit; saidfluid turbine rotating in response to fluid flowing in the fluidconduit; said power-take-off producing electrical power in response torotation of the fluid turbine; said plurality of computers beingenergized by electrical power produced by the power-take-off; saidplurality of computers executing computational tasks specified byencoded signals received by the apparatus; said plurality of computersproducing computational results by the execution of computational tasksspecified by encoded signals received by the apparatus; and saidpropulsive system moving the hydrodynamic lifting hull across thesurface of the body of water.